AGE Concern Week starts this Saturday and older people in Newton and Golborne are being encouraged to act now for better health.

The St Helens Age Concern branch is calling on elderly residents to make positive changes to transform their lives, such as eating more fresh fruit and vegetables and taking regular exercise.

Age Concern chief executive Phillip Longworth said: "We are living longer but most of us could do much more to feel happier and healthier.

"During Age Concern week we want to get the message out to as many older people as possible."

Key points of the campaign include regular exercise from as little as a walk or gentle movement class, eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, kicking the smoking habit and eating less than a teaspoonful of salt a day to decrease the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease or a stroke.

For more information, visit Age Concern St Helens at the Active Age Centre, The Mansion House, Victoria Park, City Road.