One You Shop is on the move!

The One You shop opened in February 2017 and is a partnership between Ashford Borough Council, Kent County Council and Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust to support our communities in tackling their health and wellbeing concerns.

More than 4,000 people have visited the One You shop since it opened in 2017, taking advantage of a number of activities available such as healthy weight programs and stopping smoking support.

Smoking is still the biggest cause of preventable ill health and premature mortality. Within our borough we have a higher than average percentage of the adult population classed as being overweight, with almost 20% of children in Ashford aged 10-11 being classified as obese too.

These issues and others must be tackled, not only to improve the lives of residents but to ensure a brighter future for all. The key to sustainable change is helping people to make their own healthier choices and this is where the One You shop can help.

Ashford Borough Council has provided funding in order for the One You shop to relocate to a larger unit, still within Park Mall shopping centre and the works are scheduled to be completed by the end of May.

This new location will:

• Provide for increased footfall, ensuring as many residents as possible can access the services they need
• Provide facilities to improve the services on offer – including a kitchen and an exercise area
• Provide opportunities for increasing the type of services delivered in the One You, based on the needs of residents
• Provide a public Changing Places toilet – standard accessible toilets do not provide changing benches or hoists and most are too small to accommodate more than one person
• Provide a family friendly public area for parents to sit, relax and feed their babies in a warm, welcoming environment

Sheila Davison, Head of Community Safety and Wellbeing at Ashford Borough Council, 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 – the team is in the shop now, taking on a number

of big jobs in order to transform the premises for its new purpose!”

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