WHEN district nurse Maureen Baker introduced a six- to eight-week Look After Yourself course for carers and the newly bereaved, little did she guess what she was starting.

For the idea took off like a rocket and two years later people can't stop joining the group.

CHAT (Carers' Hour at Thornton) is held on alternate Thursday afternoons at the Village Medical Centre.

Members meet to discuss health issues, complementary therapies and develop new hobbies and they have just started up a monthly walk and pub lunch.

The first course Maureen ran at Thornton turned out to be the core group for CHAT. "It didn't just consist of carers or people on their own," she said. "We were joined by all kinds of people who wanted to help themselves with health problems."

As a result she brought in specialists to give seminars on various issues from nutrition to tension-relieving tricks.

Now the group boasts people from all walks of life with the youngest around retirement age and the oldest a mere 95.

"Older people have a lot of questions about their health," said Maureen, who works for the Fylde Community Health Trust.

"They like to be kept up-to-date but don't like to bother busy GPs in case they're being a nuisance.

"CHAT gives them the chance to discover some of the answers and that makes them feel more in control of their own lives.

"Carers can feel very isolated and alone. This is an hour just for them and some of them go to great lengths just to get here."

Maureen has just one plea, transport for 20-30 older people on a day outing can be a bit of a problem.

Coaches and minibuses are far too expensive so they have been using public transport.

Anyone who has an alternative suggestion or wants more information about CHAT can call 821457.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.