WHEN a health survey was carried out on Darlington's Firthmoor estate four years ago it made for depressing reading.

More than 12 per cent of residents were claiming incapacity benefit, compared with 7.6 per cent nationally.

The rate of teenage pregnancies was far higher than the national average and 70 per cent of households had at least one smoker.

The following year, the index of multiple deprivation ranked the Eastbourne South ward, which includes Firthmoor, in the worst 11 per cent of wards nationally for poor health.

The facts and figures were disheartening, but they were enough to spur the estate's community association into embarking on a long-term plan to find a cure.

This month, the ultimate aim of that plan will be unveiled when Maidendale House, Firthmoor's £1.4m community centre opens, offering a range of health services for residents.

Association treasurer Dave Preston said it had been a long struggle to get the one-stop shop needed to improve people's health.

Mr Preston said: "There are many worse areas in the North-East but this estate was not looking good. We looked at ways this could be changed."

When the idea for a new community centre first emerged volunteers began collecting the figures to support their bids for funding.

"They held street meetings and meetings in people's houses and distributed questionnaires," said Mr Preston.

"They put together facts and figures all over the place, looking at the general health of the estate."

The hard work paid off and the community association was able to make a convincing bid for funding.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds was eventually gained from different sources, including £300,000 from the Community Fund, £410,000 from the Single Regeneration Budget and £100,000 from Northern Rock.

Some of the money will pay for a dedicated health worker on the estate.

Jan Finn will be based at Maidendale House, where she will organise courses on giving up smoking, ante-natal classes, exercise sessions, a foot clinic, healthy eating courses, a health clinic and parenting classes.

Association chairman Councillor Roderick Francis, who is also the town's deputy mayor, said he wanted everyone in the community to be able to access services at the centre.

He said: "We have a regeneration going on here. We have a new school, new houses being built and now the new centre. We want it to be the focal point for the estate.

"We have a problem on the estate. There's only one section who use the community centre. I want everybody to use it. I want the estate to take ownership."

Apart from accessing health services, residents will also be able to pay their rent or council tax, take part in adult education classes, collect baby milk or have a cup of tea and a chat.

Groups that will be using the building include a youth club, a pensioners' group, a mothers' and toddlers' club, a credit union, the Workers' Education Association and the YMCA.

The building will also have a 52-place Neighbourhood Nursery.

Darlington Primary Care Trust has worked with residents on developing the centre's health facilities.

"People's well-being often comes down to where they live and whether they or their parents have jobs," said director of public health Nonnie Crawford.

"We are working to try and address some of the bigger issues by taking practical action.

"So we are trying to encourage better parenting, more exercise, healthier eating and cooking and stopping smoking.

"All of this is in the hope that the next generation born into the less well-off areas will have longer, healthier lives than their parents. I don't think that is too much to ask."