DARLINGTON residents looking for advice and information on a range of health issues – such as healthy eating, alcohol consumption and smoking – will now find it all in one place.

The Healthy Darlington hub, based in the foyer of the Dolphin Centre, opened for business on Tuesday, following several weeks of building work.

Contractors have been hard at work creating the £180,000 hub – which has already had more than 150 expressions of interest from potential clients since it opened.

Building the hub has involved a slight extension of the centre, into part of a unit previously occupied by the charity Darlington Association on Disability (Dad).

There are long-term plans to extend the hub further, when Dad moves into a unit in the multi-storey car park, which Darlington Borough Council wants to build on the existing Beaumont Street car park, to cope with anticipated demand from the Feethams Leisure development, which is under construction.

Emma Reah, development manager for Healthy Darlington, said her eight-strong team are keen to hear from anyone in the town who thinks they could benefit from its intervention, no matter how small.

She said: "The hub is really welcoming, it's not like going to your doctor, but it is a chance to have a chat with somebody who can help to come up with some ideas that might help you eat well, move more and live longer.

"It is informal and although you can book appointments to be seen, you don't have to.

"People can just come whenever the inspiration strikes them.

"We are open every day, the Dolphin Centre has over a million visitors a year through its doors, so it would be great if we could start reaching out to more people."

Healthy Darlington is a council scheme which has been launched in partnership with GPs and is linked to the government's Change for Life programme.

People can access Healthy Darlington's services on their own initiative, or be referred by their GP.

Mrs Reah said the programme would have annual staffing costs of £150,000 on top of the one-off £180,000 start-up expenditure.

For more information about what is on offer, visit the hub in the Dolphin Centre between 9am and 7pm during the week, or between 10am and 4pm at weekends.

Alternatively, visit healthydarlington.co.uk, email thehub@darlington.gov.uk or call 01325-388829.