A COMMUNITY is fighting back against naysayers and is determined to consign its problems to the history books.

A garden party was held at the Maritime Apartments in Barque Street, Barrow Island, which recently underwent a multi-million pound refurbishment.

Attracting residents and neighbours, the organisers of the event are confident a new era has dawned for the area.

Lisa Hart, a Barrovian who manages the £12m development, said the diverse community would unite to prove their doubters wrong.

She said: "At the moment it's a very diverse community. There are lots of people who might not have put roots down but they live here and embrace the community.

"A lot of the contractors who are living here will use the local shops, the local pubs and cafes and they get to know everybody."

Barrow police's newest inspector, Jim Bailey, is keen to clean up Barrow Island's trouble spots. This involves working with local partners such as Barrow Borough Council and people like Ms Hart.

Recently there were a series of suspected arson attacks at the nearby Egerton Court. But Ms Hart said that although the area has seen its low points, she is confident it is now on the upswing.

She said: "People here are really passionate. They have seen Barrow Island go through bad times and go through good times but with all this good work we're emerging."

The scheme was the brainchild of David Rosenberg, owner of Barros Trading Ltd. The firm has invested millions of pounds in refurbishing 320 tenement flats.

At the free garden party which took place last Thursday (5), guests were allowed to wander the freshly manicured lawns and gardens, enjoy fun and games with their children and see inside the renovated flats.

One aspect which pleased Ms Hart the most was people from the wider area who came to enjoy the afternoon. She is hopeful that as the redevelopment of Barrow Island continues, more people will make use of the newly created green spaces.

She said: "The day was fantastic. The weather was on our side and we have had an awful lot of visitors from all over.

"It was a really good community day. People came and enjoyed the gardens - it was really nice to see everyone having fun.

"The garden space has made such a difference to the whole area. People who have lived here for such a long, long time finally have a garden of their own."

Ms Hart said the work was only just beginning for the area. And given time the sense of community spirit in Barrow Island would be greater than ever.

She said: "This is only the beginning. We still have to complete Sloop Street. It will be full of people who want this area to be better."