A CHILDREN'S club is being set up at the Darlington Railway Museum and Centre, in a bid to boost visitor numbers.

Staff at the museum hope the weekend activities for children will encourage more people to visit the attraction.

A grant of £8,850 has been given by the New Opportunities Fund to set up the scheme.

It is hoped the club will start at weekends after the summer holidays and run for at least two years.

John Beeley, education officer at the museum, said: "We hope it will attract more people to the museum and get children interested in what we do here."

It is also hoped that Darlington children book's illustrator Liz Million, and performance artist Robin Ellwood, will help to run workshops for youngsters who join the club.

Mr Beeley said: "At the moment, we are still looking at what we will offer, but it will be an art-based club.

"We will also be looking for parents to come and volunteer to help us out with the club sessions."

Once the club is set up it will be able to operate during Christmas and Easter holidays, and during school term time, but not during the long summer school break.

Staff at the museum are also in the process of applying for millions of pounds of National Lottery grants to upgrade the facilities that the museum can offer to visitors.