County's support agency moves home.

The privately-run business support agency which helped to start more than 200 businesses across County Durham has moved home.

The Enterprise Group (TEG) has marked the start of its second year creating new companies and jobs across the county by moving from its old base at Tursdale into Salter's House at Sedgefield.

Enterprise Group co-ordinator Mick Wood said the move is an indicator of both TEG's first-year success and its intention to improve on its 2005-2006 results.

He said: "Our move to new premises will help us to improve our activity levels and growth after our successful first year.

"A change of address may sound like a small issue, but for any business the right premises help to create the right environment for success and our new premises provide us with a base from which we can be even more productive.

"Last year's results ( creating 300 new jobs and helping to set up 207 businesses, for example ( were a tribute to the staff and our partners and a real measure of how successful our approach is. We continue to build on that, for the good of the county's economy as a whole."

Among its first year successes, TEG helped to launch eight thriving social enterprises in the county, assisting communities to run not-for-profit businesses.

More than 60% of those have already shown growth, in fields as diverse as retail, construction, manufacturing, engineering and financial services.

TEG now has a dedicated social enterprise specialist in Ed Henderson who is working with a number of new ventures across the whole of County Durham.

The group was launched out of a belief that a direct, hands-on approach was needed to foster and encourage the entrepreneurial spirit in County Durham.