Congratulations to the residents of Allerton and Lower Grange on winning £1 million from the National Lottery to build a new Healthy Living Centre in Wanstead Crescent. It is a tidy sum which will, if used wisely, do a lot to improve the quality of life for local people.

Mind you, winning the cash did not come easily. The bid took two-and-a-half years for the Saffron Dean Community Association to prepare and was submitted accompanied by 36 signatures from the statutory, voluntary and community sectors.

It is very much a team effort, and its success must surely encourage and inspire those other groups around the Bradford district which are working on similar Healthy Living Centre projects.

Allerton and Lower Grange, meanwhile, can now count their blessings. Those will include a community caf, a purpose-built creche, information-technology suite and a room to be used for tea dances and social events. There will also be art and drama sessions, massage, aromatherapy, training and education and a range of free advice sessions.

There is plenty of scope there for local people to improve their health, expand their horizons and acquire new skills - because the success of the bid will mean jobs as well as business and volunteer opportunities.

Importantly, the new centre will also provide a focal point for communal activities. People will be able to meet there and get to know each other - something which is very important on estates where one of the great problems can be a sense of individual isolation and a lack of community spirit.