NEGATIVE reports about one-parent families and unemployed people living on housing estates angered Karen Martyniuk.

So, to help redress the balance and rekindle community spirit, single mum Karen and other residents on the Clayton Brook housing estate, near Blackburn, decided to do something about it.

And now, finally, they feel they have proved their point.

In a glittering ceremony recently, the residents received the highest accolade - and £10,000 - for the creation of the Clayton Brook Food Co-operative. The co-op provides fresh fruit and vegetables at a saving of sometimes 50 per cent to hard-up families who would not otherwise be able to afford it.

"One reason we started the co-op is that people got sick of fed up of the bad press surrounding Clayton Brook," said Karen.

"It was always focusing on the negative side.

"We were sick of being told we were rubbish and wanted to start looking at the positive side," she added.

So the co-op was born. Starting out with 19 members, in seven months that number snowballed to 130. Orders have rocketed from 11 to 53 a week and are benefiting nearly 300 people weekly.

Members take orders from residents, pick up fresh fruit and vegetables from the wholesalers and make up the batches to distribute at Clayton Brook Village Hall, between Chorley and Blackburn.

"Nearly 85 per cent of people on the estate are on benefit of some sort and many have said this is the first time they could afford fresh fruit and veg. It is helping to keep them healthy," said Karen, 38.

"Many orders are just the basic fruit and veg but we have sometimes been able to get more exotic foodstuffs such as star fruit and mange tout."

The co-op has helped to generate a feel-good factor on a housing estate where unemployment was high and a feeling of isolation and apathy had set in. It has given a sense of belonging and a feeling of optimism to its residents, many of whom are unemployed and single parents.

Mother-of-three Karen, a part-time youth and community worker, said: "There was nowhere for people to join together, which left a lot of people feeling isolated. That can lead to depression.

"Many were moving away. The co-op has helped us return to the old community spirit. It draws people in.

"People are offering to baby-sit, members are going on training courses for group work skills and schoolchildren help out.

"These are just a few benefits of us pulling together," said Karen.

She believes the weekly food distribution is an enormous stress-buster and helps maintain a healthy mental attitude.

She said: "People get a chance to do voluntary work and meet new people. The customers enjoy it." The co-operative won a Health Challenge Award from the North West Health Executive for the scheme.

It competed against 180 groups from the North West to win the community group category and was also voted the overall winner out of 400 hopefuls, receiving £10,000 in prize money at the ceremony in Warrington.

Karen, of Daisymeadow, who is chairman of the co-op, said: "It was like the Oscars.

"They said a bit about each group in the category and then opened an envelope to reveal the winners.

"It was a shock to win the group award, and especially overall."

She said: "We have proved that we are not rubbish and that's positive.

"Without pulling together we would never have done it.

"It has revitalised a community."

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