A COMMUNITY has come out in force to drive down crime and bring people back together.

Residents of Bunny Park, Lockwood, have teamed up to stamp out anti-social behaviour and launch a community centre.

Housing association Places for People, has donated an empty ground-floor flat on Horse Bank Drive to help get the residents talking.

Julia Bak, chairman of the Bunny Park Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, said: “We are trying to put the C back into community and get the estate participating in things to bring them together.

“We are looking at doing mother and toddler groups, luncheon clubs for elderly and disabled residents, bingo nights for all to enjoy, and other events so everyone young or old can enjoy a bit of time out of the usual routine for them.

“At one time we were all out here – before all the crime and anti-social behaviour.

“Then people got scared and started saying they hadn’t seen anything if they were asked.

“We want to show the tenants here that we are helping people on this estate.”

Mum-of-five Julia, 51, became concerned about her area a few years ago when levels of nuisance behaviour started to rise.

She said: “There was a lot of crime going on in the flats.

“We were getting woken up in the early hours of the morning by people dealing drugs and smashing bottles.

“Cars or taxis would pull up but nobody was getting in or out. It was obviously drugs.

“We started giving the police registration numbers and they raided the flats. We have now cleared the flats of those people.

“We just won’t stand for it.”

Now, the group has secured funding from Kirklees Federation of Tenants’ and Residents’ Associations (KFTRA) to help them equip the community centre – due to open at the end of January.

Huddersfield Pendragon Round Table has also awarded £500 to pay for a cooker and kitchen equipment.

Julia added: “We want to thank them from the bottom of our hearts.

“It means a lot to us.

“We want to be able to offer coffee mornings so people can come and see us, talk to us about their problems and have a chat.”

Graeme Bowen, of Pendragon Round Table, helped organise the donation.

He said: “This money is typical of what we want to do as an organisation.

“All the money we raise comes from the community and needs to go back to them.

“For quite a small amount of cash, it is going to help so many people and make life better for a whole community.”