A NEW group has been formed to encourage local people to live healthier lives.

The Walkie Talkie Group is a new development within the Lifestyle Health Link project, at Loftus.

Aimed at providing informal, community-based health information and opportunities, it is being developed by a partnership including community members and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.

Support and training for participants will be offered by council staff in the early stages of the group's development, with more formal training available once it is established.

Janice Dyke, chairperson of Lifestyle Health Link, said: "The process of involving people in ongoing, practical activities in a supportive setting has been shown to be more effective in changing attitudes and behaviour than the more traditional health education methods.

"There are also real opportunities to ensure that the learning is passed on to the community by the individuals involved, and by including other voluntary groups."

The first meeting takes place at Brotton Youth Centre, Linden Road, on Thursday, January 18 at 10am.