AN organisation aimed at encouraging women living in rural areas to develop new skills has doubled the number involved over the last year.

WORCNET (Women's Opportunity for Rural Contact through Networking, Education and Training) has grown from 180 women in the spring to 360. Members live as far afield as Cyprus and Canada, but its primary target is North Yorkshire.

The project is funded by Yorkshire Forward and managed by Learning and Skills Council North Yorkshire (LSC).

Joan Palmer, director of lifelong learning at LSC, said: "The LSC is constantly working to break down the barriers to learning and enterprise."