SYLVIA Vicker surveyed the monotonous stream of traffic that clogged the roaring High Street and said sadly: "I feel really insecure in Shirley."

The 66-year-old has seen a lot in the eight years she has lived in a nearby sheltered housing development.

And much - certainly of late - has been bad.

She said: "We are frightened to move around in case we step on a needle or broken glass - and someone got beaten up in the middle of the night before closed-circuit TV was put in.

"The park had to be demolished in front of my house because of the broken glass."

As Sylvia negotiated the Christmas shoppers, she continued: "We are too scared to go out at night and you get all the alcoholics from down town coming up here. They buy drink, sit outside and make noise."

It was, she says, different a few years ago. "It was safer when I first moved here. But now kids just sit around outside till 2 o'clock in the morning making noise."

Sylvia hopes the local flats will be demolished and replaced with new modern pensioner flats equipped with proper security measures.

"And," she quickly adds, "We need better facilities for entertainment for our young people."

In fact, there is no shortage of ideas on how to improve the area.

Sylvia's friend, Jackie Walker (64) insists more policing and neighbourhood wardens would help while other shoppers quizzed by the Daily Echo yesterday offered other suggestions.

For example Kerry Rackhan, 25, said: "We need facilities for our kids because there is no youth club or sports area. The park is quite nice but my kids just sit in the flat all day."

Matthew Hoyle, 39, added: "Traffic calming is key in my view - those in the 18-24 age bracket drive around like maniacs down all the side roads in the residential areas."

But ideas - like raised hopes and expectations - can hopelessly flounder unless they can be carried forward by a vehicle for change.

In a unique move, just such a vehicle appears to have arrived in the form of an innovative community project.

At its heart is a company specifically established to plough its profits into urban regeneration.

As a result, residents living in Southampton's SO16 postcode areas are being offered a genuine opportunity to help direct how the money is put to use.

Computer firm RISE hopes to record profits of up to £1.5m within five years - and most of it will be invested in projects to help improve Shirley Warren, pictured right, Millbrook, Redbridge, and Coxford.

The Outer Shirley wards are currently among the 119 most deprived areas of the UK, and the aim is to improve community facilities with the help of residential input.

Funding could be used to build playgrounds, youth facilities, road calming measures or help local businesses.

How will it work and how exactly can the residents help shape change?

In short, residents will be able to apply for one of 2,500 available "shares" in the company which will crucially entitle them to voice an opinion on their area's future.

The shares have no financial value and cannot be traded. It is the power to have a say which makes them vitally important to obtain.

All SO16 residents need to do is simply fill out a short questionnaire, one of which is included here.

Everyone with a share will be invited to vote at the company's annual meeting every year which will decide which projects deserve support.

RISE is an offshoot of the Outer Shirley Regeneration Project, and already offers the chance for residents to learn how to use computers at its office in Irving Road, Maybush.

Managing director Iain Lucas said the business idea started as a necessary way of funding the work already being done.

"We had the problem of how to keep going when there's no money coming in, so we're trying to do some things that are purely profit making," he said.

Mr Lucas added their products are the same as available on the high street, with the only difference to the consumer being the knowledge that any profit will be put to good use in the community.

"We're not asking people to come and buy it on a charity basis. It's a good computer at a good price," he said.

Turnover is currently about £50,000, but bosses hope it can grow dramatically as inroads are made into a computer market worth about £16bn nationally.

Mr Lucas believes many customers are attracted because they know the money is going to a good cause, while many local authorities and housing associations are known to favour social enterprises.

"Community involvement is paramount because in the future we could have a lot of money and the shareholders can decide exactly what we do with that money," he said.

The shoppers approached by the Daily Echo yesterday warmly welcomed the share project but now its up to local people to register their interest by applying for their shares.

"If you want a say in the future of your area, just fill out the form. It's as simple as that," said Mr Lucas.

You can find out more about products for sale and RISE's community projects at www.risecomputershop.com.