A SPECIALLY trained nurse is set to start work on a Darlington housing estate thanks to a grant from the National Lottery.

The Firthmoor to Health project has been awarded more than £500,000 and will use the money to set up a one-stop health shop where the public can access a variety of services.

A specialist nurse will work from the centre and will be able to prescribe medication and give health advice in a bid to reduce pressure on doctors in the area.

Mark Fabb, chairman of the Firthmoor Community Partnership Board and project manager for Firthmoor To Health said: "This is excellent news for the community and the whole town. Having a dedicated health professional working for us will make such a huge difference to the services available to us as well as easing the pressure on GPs in the town."

The Firthmoor To Health project was set up to tackle health issues in Firthmoor over a five-year period.

The aim of the project is to improve the health of local residents by providing accessible community based services as well as setting up activities to tackle the root causes of poor health.

The lottery money will help to achieve this by funding schemes to promote exercise among residents and healthy living in the community.

Money will also be directed to health issues affecting young people such as teenage pregnancy and drugs misuse.

The one-stop health centre will be part of the new Firthmoor Community Initiatives Centre which is expected to be built over the coming 18 months and will see the current community centre demolished.

Until it is built, a temporary building will house the project.