Cancer survivors will be able to take part in health referral programmes at BH Live Active’s Queen’s Park leisure centre in Bournemouth, as the operator looks to encourage a broader range of people to become more physically active.

The south coast leisure operator is refurbishing the site and will be able to offer health referral schemes once complete. Its referral scheme is aimed at people living with a medical condition or injury who are ready to get back into physical activity and recommended to do so by a GP.

The Bournemouth After Cancer Survivorship Programme is a specialist-led, eight-week personalised health, fitness and wellbeing scheme for people living with breast, colorectal or haematological cancer who want to live an active life.

It is delivered and funded by BH Live at other leisure centres it runs following referrals from the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and supporting medical professionals.

Discounted exercise activities will be available at Queen’s Park from January 2018.

More than £400,000 (US$530,000, €450,700) will be spent on revamping the centre, which will also focus on offering more activities for younger people. Cash will also be spent on the installation of new resistance and cardio machines, free weights, a functional rig, lifting platform, and flooring. A new group exercise programme will be implemented, geared towards functional fitness. Its Terrace café will also be refurbished.

“This investment will create better public health and fitness facilities for the local community and enable us to broaden our activity programme,” said Mike Lyons, BH Live’s director for sport and leisure. “This supports our mission to encourage more people to enjoy a more active lifestyle and experience the health benefits that this brings.”

Work on the centre is scheduled to begin this month.