THE first mobile wellness centre has taken centre stage at a celebrity charity golf day.

Wellness on Wheels (Wow), a travelling gymnasium aimed at improving public fitness and health, was developed in County Durham as part of a collaboration involving the NHS and local authorities.

As part of efforts to publicise the £1.1m centre, which has been built inside an articulated trailer, Wow visited the charity golf event at Matfen Hall, Northumberland, and put sports stars Daley Thompson and Colin Jackson through their paces.

Children from Richard Coates Middle School, in Ponteland, were also invited to join in the fun.

Wow has already been in operation in the Bishop Auckland and Stanhope areas in Wear Valley and Weardale, County Durham, and has been used by about 400 people.

Wow project manager Natalie Drew said: "It is great to see Wow in operation and actually making a difference to people's lives. Steve Cram and Sally Gunnell, to name just a few, will be offering their support to the campaign, which we hope will encourage more and more people to come and get active.

"The key aim of the project is to introduce new people to exercise and encourage them to sustain an active lifestyle once the mobile wellness centre has moved on."

The project, which was set up by Wear Valley District Council and Durham Dales Primary Care Trust, is due to last three years