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Work to transform a disused unit in a shopping centre into a new space for a health and wellbeing centre has been completed.
The One You shop - which offers quit smoking and weight loss services - had been running from a small store near the tank in Park Mall, Ashford since 2017, but moved to a larger two-storey unit in the centre this week.
The scheme is aimed at tackling health and wellbeing concerns and is run by Ashford Borough Council, Kent County Council and Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust.
Its former unit was made up of several consulting rooms and a small seating area, but the new facility goes over two floors and and offers more services.
It provides a new public seating area, public toilet with an adult sized changing table, four consulting rooms, and activity rooms.
Two training kitchens have also been installed, which will be used to teach people healthy recipes as well as providing courses for parents and carers on how to cook for a weaning baby.
Sheila Davison, head of community safety and wellbeing at the council, says the authority is grateful for the support it has received.
She said: “It has been a real partnership effort to launch the new premises – with support received from local companies including Benchmarx, B&Q, Tesco and Asda.
“Key to the delivery of the scheme has been our excellent partnership working with Kent, Sussex and East Sussex Community Rehabilitation Company Community Payback scheme."
Since One You opened two years ago, more than 4,000 people have accessed healthy weight programmes and stop smoking support services, bosses say.
In Ashford, the percentage of the adult population classed as overweight is higher than the national average.
About 20% of children in the borough aged between 10 and 11 are also classified as obese.
Smoking is still the biggest cause of preventable ill health and premature mortality.
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