A NEW community care office was today to be opened in North Yorkshire.

The new office of Thirsk and Sowerby Community Care was being officially opened by Vale of York MP Anne McIntosh.

The new office, in Thirsk Market Place, now caters for 12 staff and the nine projects they cover, and was to be opened at noon.

A spokeswoman for the association said: "We are delighted to be having our official opening of the office, and it is very kind of Miss McIntosh to do this for us.

"We are very grateful to Anne, and to Yorkshire Forward and the local people who have all done so much to make this organisation a success."

Miss McIntosh said: "I want to pay tribute to the association and to carers in the Vale of York.

"The association works with the local community, providing carers support, a volunteer bureau, a voluntary car scheme, childcare development services, a childcare training programme, and a teenage activity scheme.

"One-in-nine people in the Vale of York is a carer and research by Carers UK suggests that three people in five will be carers during their lifetime."

Updated: 09:09 Friday, May 02, 2003