An organisation is appealing for new members to reflect the multi-cultural make-up of Heaton village.

Heaton Township Association celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and has marked the occasion with a special newsletter featuring contributions from younger residents.

It said it was shaking off its introverted image and wanted to appeal to a broader spectrum of residents.

Secretary Steve Gardner said they particularly wanted more Asian people to participate.

"We had up to 1,000 members at one time and this dwindled to about 350," he said.

"But we are keen to recruit more members, especially people from ethnic backgrounds and younger residents. We want fresh blood and we don't want the association to become stale.

"We are very much a community association and have the village's interests at heart."

The association was set up 30 years ago primarily to monitor planning applications in Heaton. Now a new committee has been set up and a host of activities are planned.

Founding member Councillor Stanley King (Con, Heaton), who is Lord of the Manor of Heaton, said the organisation was only as good as its members.

"At one point we had almost 1,000 members. However, we still have very enthusiastic members and they have organised community clean-ups and campaigned against phone masts."

Member Elizabeth Hellmich said the association wanted to be relevant to all people in Heaton.

"I became a member only a short while ago. I was also put off by the image but it really does want to change," she said.

"We are going to plan fundraising events and participate more fully in Heaton life. It is to make life better for all Heaton residents, white and Asian."

Mrs Hellmich said the association was linking up with other organisations such as the police, the Anti-Crime Partnership and the SAFE project (Mums' Army) to ensure that the town was a focal point of activity.

"We are trying to get CCTV cameras because of vandalism on Highgate. Before it wouldn't have been something the HTA dealt with but now it is something that we all fight together," she said.

Membership is between £2 and £5 a year and members receive four newsletters a year. For details, call (01274) 488742.