A ONE-stop shop for free advice is being launched in Durham and Chester-le-Street.

Advice in County Durham, which is made up of 50 organisations, is starting weekly sessions on Friday (May 1).

The Durham session will be held from 1 to 3.30pm each week until Friday, April 29, 2016, at Durham Foodbank, The Caretaker’s Cottage, North Road Methodist Church.

From 10am to 12.30pm sessions will be held at Chester-le-Street Foodbank, in the Parish Centre, on the first three Fridays of each month until December 18, 2016.

Free advice will be given on rotation by Citizens Advice County Durham, Age UK County Durham, Durham Money Advice, and, at Chester-le-Street and, at Durham only, by Chester-le-Street and Durham Mind.

Welfare benefits and reform, debt, housing, employment, education, healthcare and mental health, relationships, community care, hate crime, immigration and consumer issues will be covered.

The project has been given grants by the Durham County Council Area Action Partnerships for the two towns.

Project Coordinator Tracy Emery said: “It doesn’t matter which agency is delivering advice as clients will benefit from Advice in County Durham’s cross referral system.

“This means that people seeking advice now obtain an initial assessment of all information and advice required, with follow-on appointments, therefore reducing waiting time and travel for clients.”

Advice in County Durham aims to make it easier for people in the county to find the right free advice and support.

People decide what level of information or advice they need and search for a nearby centre using the search tool on the organisation’s website at www.adviceincountydurham or by calling its Advice Line, 03444-111444, which is available Mondays to Fridays from 10am to 4pm.