VISITORS to Darlington's main leisure centre will notice a raft of changes in the coming weeks, where a one-stop health hub is being created.

The Dolphin Centre will be the main base of Healthy Darlington, an initiative aimed at getting people to move more.

It is being launched by Darlington Borough Council in partnership with GPs and the government's Change for Life programme.

Eagle-eyed customers may have noticed work having started in the centre's foyer, where the Healthy Darlington hub will be based when the scheme is launched next month.

Mike Crawshaw, the council's head of leisure, who is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Dolphin Centre, said the Change for Life motto of 'Eat Well, Move More, Live Longer' will be at the heart of Healthy Darlington.

Customers engaging with Healthy Darlington will have the opportunity to go on a health 'pathway', in which their eating, activity and lifestyle habits will be assessed and monitored.

The scheme is aimed at people wanting to become more active for personal reasons – such as wanting to lose weight or get back in shape after slipping into a sedentary lifestyle – as well as those who already do some exercise.

People will be able to join the scheme on their own initiative, or be referred by their GP.

They will have the chance to explore their current level of physical activity and make decisions based on those results.

Mr Crawshaw said the aim of Healthy Darlington was to make customers feel at ease when discussing their health.

He added: "Historically, people in Darlington have gone to lots of different places to access information on getting active.

"In the Dolphin Centre, from October, we will be the main point of contact for information about healthy lifestyles.

"Darlington people are familiar with the Dolphin Centre, they feel comfortable here and I hope there will be a positive response to this scheme.

"GPs will send patients here, or people can refer themselves, and there is a clearly defined pathway, which has been designed with the support of Public Health England, to support people and their families."

Emma Reah, development manager for Healthy Darlington, said theHub project was developed following the shift of responsibility for public health from the government to local authorities.

She added: "We will continue to work in schools and community centres as we always have done at the council, but this new service allows people to get support to get fit and active at a level that suits them, with a team of specialists who will work with them every step of the way."

A website – healthydarlington.co.uk – is under construction and more information is also available by following @HealthyDton on Twitter.