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A NEW campaign between Durham County Council and the Northern Echo is striving to promote the benefits of our beautiful county to some of its younger residents.

This exciting campaign - My Future is Durham – seeks to highlight the positive aspects of the area, and to encourage children and young people see it as a place to live and work in the future.

And as one of the most cutting-edge places in the UK, and, with more than £3.8 billion in private sector investment underway across our county, there has never been a better time to plan a future in Durham.

We are proud of our region and of the people that live and work here – striving to make it a better place, with more opportunities, for the next generation - and the campaign seeks to inspire our future workforce. We are starting by showing the youngsters in Years 4, 5 and 6, how a selection of ordinary North-East people have built successful careers in the region.

During week commencing May 20, as part of the initiative, we will be asking schools to share the video above with their students so they can see for themselves what can be achieved with hard work, aspiration, and making the most of your opportunities.

The three advocates – solicitor Victoria Walton, and business owners Gordon MacPherson and John Campbell – talk inspiringly about how they achieved their dreams and are looking forward to contributing to the future success of the region.

In order to engage pupils in the project, and to set their imaginations free, schoolchildren will be offered the chance to take part in a competition with The Northern Echo, with a fantastic prize on offer to the winners.

Together, we want to show how we can provide a better, brighter and more vibrant future for our children and young people.