A LONG-STANDING village hall is keeping pace with modern technology, having received funding to improve computer provision.

Delves Lane Community Association, in Consett, County Durham, has won a grant of £19,725 to provide a learner support worker to help users of some of the village hall's ten computers.

It will enable the association to stage a First Time OnLine project, to assist novice computer users.

The grant was awarded by the regional office of Ufi Ltd, which works for the Government-backed UK OnLine Learning service to improve computer literacy.

Association administrator, Ann Westgarth, said: "We're delighted to receive confirmation of the funding.

News of the funding followed an 80th birthday party at the hall, to which 42 residents, aged 80 or over, were invited.

Barclays Bank provided funding for the party, local community caterers Canny Crack put on the buffet tea, and association helper Jean Brown baked the birthday cake.