LOUISE Brown has lived with the effects of a stroke for more than a third of her 31 years -- but only in the past two months does she feel she is getting the help she needs to recover some of her mobility. Most services for people who have survived a stroke are focused on the elderly, people more than 65 years old, who account for the majority of cases. But almost 200 strokes a week in the United Kingdom happen to people under 55 -- that is more than 10,000 a year -- and that is where Different Strokes comes in. A charity offering support for younger stroke survivors, Different Strokes has just set up a group in Newport. It meets every week at Fitness First, in Corporation Road, for rehabilitation exercise under a trained supervisor.

For Louise, the group is giving her the opportunity to win back more mobility, a big step forward for someone who enjoys dancing.

"I had a degenerative hip problem and I had a stroke during a hip replacement operation 11 years ago," she said.

"For several months afterwards the doctors didn't know what had happened to me and I didn't get early rehabilitation. I was left with a pretty useless left arm and a less than perfect left leg.

"Most stroke services are aimed at the elderly and there wasn't much out there for someone like me. I was only 20 at the time. I had a course of physiotherapy but there was nothing long term.

"I've known about Different Strokes for a while but until now there hasn't been a local group. I've been coming for a few weeks now and a couple of weeks ago I began to feel muscles that I haven't felt in years."

Bob Watson, who had a stroke eight years ago and who lives in Somerset, started the charity's first group outside London in Bristol. He has set up the Newport group.

"We know there are people out there, younger stroke survivors who can benefit from what Different Strokes has to offer. By young we mean between the ages of 16 and 65.

"A lot of this is about confidence and attitude. Confidence is one of the first things to go after a stroke and it is marvellous to see people getting some of their confidence back."