Due to essential maintenance, the following systems will be unavailable from 6.00pm on Monday 2 October until 8.00am on Tuesday 3 October: our online council tax, business rates and housing benefit services, and our welfare assistance form. You will also not be able to register to pay council tax online, make a change of address for council tax or cancel single person discount. You are still able to make a payment during this time. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Alliance

In County Durham there are lots of services and activities available in our communities that families can access, these can include parent and toddler groups, support drop ins, sporting activities, benefits advice, adult learning courses and many more.

The Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Alliance team work with a range of organisations, including the One Point Service, Police, Health Visitors, Schools and voluntary organisations in our communities to help children, young people and families to access activities and services near to where they live.

The team work closely with organisations to gather information about what is happening in our communities. This information is shared with professionals so that they can support families to access and engage in a range services and activities in the community. By doing this we hope to see an increased confidence and resilience in our children, young people and families.

If you would like to find out more about what is happening near to where you live, please contact us.