A WEBSITE is to be launched next month to promote the towns of Crook, Stanhope and the surrounding area of County Durham.

The Wear Valley portal, provides access to a range of information about the area, including entertainment, lifestyle activities, tourist attractions and news.

The website allows businesses from the towns and surrounding area an opportunity to promote themselves.

Each business has been given the opportunity to have a free presence on the portal in the form of a three-page microsite, which can be used to market their business and, if they have one, to provide a link to their main website.

The microsites are available free of charge until September next year, and at a minimal cost after that.

The Wear Valley portal is one of 11 similar websites being established, but will be one of the first to be launched.

Sponsored by One NorthEast and the Countryside Agency, the aim of the project is to promote the market towns of the North-East to assist their regeneration.

In Wear Valley, the project has been promoted by Wear Valley District Council and Wear Valley Development Agency which have been encouraging and assisting businesses to participate.

With the launch nearing, the two organisations are continuing to work with those businesses that have expressed an interest in the scheme to ensure they have developed their microsite when the portal is launched.

Opportunities still exist for any businesses and organisations wishing to join the project. For further details, or to participate, contact Alan Weston on (01388) 761575.