CLOTHING and textile businesses in the region have received £140,000 in training funding in the last year, thanks to the Strategic Training (Stat) project.

Nationally, the project provided £2m of funding for a pilot programme that gives grants to clothing and textile companies.

The statistics were revealed at a regional conference, Textile and Clothing Funding Unzipped, yesterday.

Speaking at the event, held at the Stadium of Light, in Sunderland, Linda Florance, chief executive of the CAPITB Trust, the clothing industry training organisation, said Stat funding was available to all sizes of businesses in the clothing and textiles industry.

She said: "Although the present round of funding runs out in June this year, we're inviting firms to express interest in the project. We want the Government to support another round of Stat funding."

About 100 delegates attended the event, designed to introduce textile companies to organisations offering help and funding.

Fred Kirkland, manager of the North-East Textile Network said: "This event was about helping Government departments understand the needs of the industry. There is a considerable amount of help available to companies, if they know where to look."