PEOPLE living in deprived areas of east Cleveland have been handed a key to education thanks to a new centre in Loftus.

The £900,000 Centre of Opportunity and Partnership, in the former Co-op building in the High Street, was officially opened yesterday by radio TFM staff.

The Tees Valley Training and Enterprise Council, the Rural Development Programme, European Regional Development Fund, Redcar and Cleveland College, the Tudor Trust, development agency One NorthEast, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, and the Loftus Development Trust worked together to create the centre.

The centre offers numerous training opportunities, including computer and Internet access, to east Cleveland. Learning facilities are available for up to 100 students at any one time.

More than 250 full-time and part-time students have enrolled at the centre since it opened its doors in September.

Students can work towards nationally recognised qualifications in information technology, business, and hair and beauty.

An added bonus for students with pre-school children is the Jack in the Box Nursery.

The premises are shared by Redcar and Cleveland College, Loftus Development Trust, Business Link and Sure Start, the government-backed scheme which aims to increase opportunities for the under-fives.

At the opening ceremony, Alan Old, principal of the college, said a lot of hard work and effort had gone into the building and the partnership, and that he was looking forward to the partnership developing during the next few years.

"It is an opportunity for us to enable our students to create their own opportunities," he said.

Councillor Vilma Collins, Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland, said: "We all know partnership is a buzz word at the moment, but when you see somewhere like this, you see how it is working.

"It is a real opportunity for Loftus and the surrounding areas. I am sure it will be a great success."

Steve Mellalieu, director of the Loftus Development Trust, reminded guests of a speech made by former American president Lyndon B Johnson, who said that poverty must not be a barrier to learning and learning must offer an escape from poverty.

"The statement epitomises the commitment of this centre in Loftus," he said