People at risk of developing heart disease can soon get all the help they need under one roof through a new cardiac prevention and outreach centre.

Bermuda Heart Foundation has joined forces with nearly a dozen businesses to create the Island's first Cardiac Outreach, Renewal and Education centre, known as CORE.

The Chancery Lane, Hamilton centre opened to corporate partners on Friday and will officially open to the public in February.

BHF executive director Simone Barton said the centre will serve people at risk of developing heart conditions including those who are pre-diabetic, diabetic, obese, or suffer from hypertension.

It could also help reduce the number of heart-related deaths on the Island — in 2007 the cause of nearly half of the fatalities in Bermuda. According to Ms Barton, people should not be dying at such a high rate from a disorder that is a largely preventable.

The foundation will be working with famed surgeon and television personality Mehmet Oz, and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, to get the facility up and running. Dr Oz shot a two-minute commercial that will air during February, observed as Heart Month.

CORE will provide individuals with guidance and support through a six to eight week, tailor-made programme that will focus on fitness, healthy eating, education, cardiac awareness and practice.

With the help of a psychologist, participants will be able to make a mental shift towards healthy living. Meanwhile a nutritionist will look at what participants are eating at home and show them how to make simple changes to improve their diets.

People will have to be referred to the centre by a general practitioner, but the programme has been added as an insurable benefit by Argus, BF&M and Colonial.

Ms Barton said: "Everybody came together to make this happen and we could not have done it without them. This was a joint community initiative.

"It showed me that there is a great need for what we are doing because when I asked for help everyone had a story to tell. This is a disorder where everyone has a common denominator everyone has a heart. Everybody knows that we can make a difference if we get out in front of it."

"It's heart warming, it's amazing and I am exceedingly proud of what the community has achieved.

"We did it in less than a year; last October we started the development and this October it was done."

BHF received financial support from Allied World, Bacardi, XL and Ace and enlisted help from numerous organisations including OBMI Design, architect Geoff Parker, carpenter Rick Moniz, electrician Paul Simmons, Fibre Net Communications Ltd, Bermuda Air Conditioning, Bermuda Residential and Commercial Trucking and Bermuda Sign Printer.

They used repurposed office supplies, old doors, used kitchen sinks and toilets to make the project as environmentally friendly and cost efficient as possible.

Still the project drained the charity's budget and BHF are appealing for help from the community to raise more money to decorate and liven up the space.

"It did take all the funds that we had. There isn't money for simple things like mirrors or microwaves and there are no pictures on the walls yet. Our thought and feeling was that stuff will come. It was more important that we get the centre open," Ms Barton said.

For more information or to donate call the Bermuda Heart Foundation on 232-7812.