IT is an ambitious plan to transform an area blighted by complex social problems.

But, five years on and with a dent made in £50m, the signs are encouraging that Thornhill is moving in the right direction.

It was in 2000 that the Southampton community of Thornhill applied to the government for a grant to help turn around the area - and for good reason.

At the time Thornhill was one of the city's most deprived areas with high rates of unemployment and people seeking incapacity benefit. There were rising levels of crime (especially antisocial behaviour) and homes were in desperate need of refurbishment. To top it all, there was a lack of communal facilities.

The intention behind the ten-year Thornhill regeneration project - run by the Thornhill Plus You partnership - was simply to make the estate an area where people felt safe and empowered, where educational standards were good and where people had aspirations.

Furthermore the aim was to make people proud of where they lived and to improve the image of Thornhill to the world and of course its own residents.

The overriding plan for Thornhill though was the need to make everything they did self-sustaining.

The projects undertaken so far have all been aimed at addressing particular needs in the community that the community itself identified.

Around £2.5m was spent on Thornhill's three primary schools doing everything from fixing leaks and draughts to buying sports and musical equipment.

Three minibuses were also purchased for the schools - something parents/teacher associations may have helped fundraise for in prosperous areas - so the youngsters could get to go on trips and outing.

As Victoria Hooper from Thornhill Plus You puts it: "It's about improving their education outside the classroom. Many of the youngsters at these schools will never have had the chance to go on outings or to events and some have not even seen the sea. Buying these minibuses meant they and their schools now had these opportunities."

A significant amount of money was also spent on housing. Sixty per cent of housing in Thornhill is council stock and, along with Southampton City Council, they decided to invest a total of almost £7m on renovating kitchens and bathrooms and upgrading, among other things, heating and insulation.

So what's the verdict?

Debbie King, chairman of the Thornhill Plus You group and a Thornhill resident for 39 years, said: "People in areas like Thornhill didn't feel the government cared about them and by making this investment it showed people that they do matter.

"This project will make this area self-sustainable and by ploughing in resources, we have been able to do some amazing things.

"People feel good if the place they live in feels good and if they have the facilities close by that they need. It makes people achieve more in their lives and gives them confidence.

"That inevitably affects people's health because they feel they are worth more and then strive to achieve more.

"This project has also given people in Thornhill a sense of pride in their community. Thornhill is a far cleaner and brighter place than it was five years ago. Ultimately if the area you live in makes you feel happy, and you are contented, then you will be healthier and more likely to take positive steps to improve your health even further."

A spokesman for Thornhill Plus You said: "In terms of the regeneration programme it has to be something that is self-sustaining after the programme has finished.

"The danger is that you come in and invest in the community, but when the money goes the services vanish. This can't be allowed to happen in Thornhill and in many ways that is what the Thornhill Plus You project is about."