YOU'RE never too old was the message at the Older Generations Fair staged by Taunton Deane MP Rebecca Pow at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, on Saturday.

The focus of the event was health and wellbeing at a time when figures suggest the number of people aged over 75 will double over the next decade.

Ms Pow said that the fitter and healthier we remain, the better chance we have of staving off the need for hospital or care home admissions.

She added: "I was delighted that so many people turned out to take advantage of the wealth of organisations taking part.

"The Bank pilates and fitness centre in Taunton attracted much attention with many older people realising that there are plenty of exercises classes tailored for them, including for those recuperating from operations.

"Taking part in physical activity is an important part of maintaining independence and helps to reduce falls - the risk of a hip fracture from a fall is 40 per cent lower for those who keep fit, so it makes sense to get involved."

Visitors learned about coping with dementia, while there were opportunities to register to volunteer, join groups for socialising and learning new skills and find out about trips.

Ms Pow said: "As well as being useful for the pubic the organisations attending, the fair seemed to gain much from networking among themselves too."