COUNCILLORS have indicated that they support the transfer of a group representing the interests of older people in Darlington out of council control.

Members of Darlington Borough Council's cabinet acknowledged the work that has been done to ensure the Growing Older Living in Darlington (Gold) group can continue to operate once council funding ends in March 2015.

Veronica Copeland, cabinet member for adults and social care, gave an update to councillors about the ongoing negotiations with the Darlington Citizen's Advice Bureau (CAB) to move Gold under its responsibility and help secure its future funding.

Cllr Copeland said: "Gold was set up in 2002 as a ten year project and now we are looking to transfer it to another organisation as council funding comes to an end.

"CAB is hopeful that they will have funding in place to take it on before our funding ceases.

"Hopefully the Gold group will be able to continue successfully in some format.

"We should remember that in the ten years since Gold was set up that a lot more organisations, such as Healthwatch and Age UK, now offer many more ways of engaging with older people and sharing information and consulting with them."

Cabinet members agreed to monitor efforts to transfer the Gold group to CAB.