THE future of a charity that helps thousands of community groups has been secured thanks to a £250,000 grant.

The cash will fund Derwentside's Council for Voluntary Services (CVS) for the next three years.

Chief officer John Hails said: "This is really exciting and is great news for Derwentside.

"If we were to disappear, it would mean thousands of organisations would lose our support."

The group, based in the Louisa Centre in Stanley, has helped hundreds of clubs and societies since it was set up in 1996.

Its eight staff give advice on how to organise a club and offer professional help to access grants. Those to benefit recently include Stanley Rotary Club and Annfield Plain Family History Society.

Apart from small amounts given by Derwentside District Council and Durham County Council, the CVS has to apply for grant aid to fund its work.

The £250,000 is the combination of successful bids to the Home Office, Lloyds TSB Foundation, the Coalfields Regeneration Trust and the Nationwide Foundation.

"Unfortunately, when it comes to funding, we are in the same boat as any other local group," said Mr Hails.

"But our sponsors have shown confidence in us and in Derwentside."

The cash injection has freed staff to concentrate on tackling some of the social problems troubling the district's communities.

First on the list is a scheme to bring old and young people together through voluntary work. The project will be run through the Volunteer Bureau, also based in the Louisa Centre.

"We are looking at issues of intergenerational disharmony," said Mr Hails. "The elderly and young people have real problems with each other.

"What we are doing is getting them to mix through an exchange, so they learn to understand each other better."

Projects in the pipeline include youngsters running classes on computer skills. In return, members of the older generation will be teaching cookery to excluded teenagers and showing them how to manage on a budget.

Anyone interested in taking part in the scheme is asked to contact Victoria Johnson at the Volunteer Bureau, on (01207) 218855.

Anyone wanting advice on setting up a community group can contact the CVS on (01207) 218849.