SUNDERLAND footballer Niall Quinn is to launch a poolside chair lift for people will disabilities in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.

The striker will be at the Pioneering Care Centre in Cobblers Hall, off Burn Lane, next Tuesday at 3.30pm.

The launch will involve disabled people who use the centre demonstrating how the chair lift enables easy access to the hydrotherapy pool.

The chair, made possible by a £7,000 donation from the Halifax's community relations programme, will enable local disabled people to access the centre's pool with dignity and comfort.

The award-winning centre in Newton Aycliffe, opened by the Princess Royal in February 2000, offers a range of services and support for local people disadvantaged by ill-health, disability, age or caring responsibilities.

It is run by a local charity, the Pioneering Care Partnership, managed mainly by disabled people.

The hydrotherapy pool is open to the public from Monday to Friday