Councillors in Penryn have thanked a local group for providing a link between the council and the community with workshops and other events.

Hands up Penryn, which is funded by the Department for Communities, has been meeting with residents in different parts of the town to hear their concerns and look at what can be done. In Permarin Road, for example, the group helped local residents put together a funding application to regenerate the park, and a reply is expected this week.

The group's founder Jane Cross told councillors that the aim was to "find ways of helping people feel more included, get a sense of belonging, and make more connections with each other."

She said the group had been in discussion with the Penryn Surgery about ways of engaging people who visited the surgery for a place to go rather than because they needed treatment.

Members had also been working with police on a restorative justice programme, as well as improving links between police and the community.

Ms Cross said: "If people feel more connected with their neighbours and community and know more about what's going on, there will be a greater feeling of community safety. And that increases safety for everybody."

The group has also been carrying out a survey around the town, trying to find out what direction residents would like to see the town going in, and to "help people that otherwise wouldn't get their opinion across."

Councillor Beverley Hulme said perhaps the council, which had a disappointing response to its survey on a neighbourhood plan, said perhaps they could learn some lessons from the group.

She added that they had the same aims: "What we want to do is make Penryn better."

Councillor David Garwood said: "As a town council that's here to represent the people of Penryn, we can only support an initiative like this that is out there doing that.

"We will be a better council for you being there and giving us that connection and that link to the community. We'd be silly not to use you for our own ends, so to speak."

But councillor Martin Mullins threw his doubts on the project, saying people didn't necessarily want communities any more.

He said: "People become jealous of their next door neighbour. They don't want a community they want him out, because they want someone of their own standing, or they might feel intimidated."

He said that it was a "hard slog" to get a community together, and would not last, but Ms Cross said that although there could be fear, it was often broken down once people started talking.

The mayor, Mark Snowdon, thanked the group for all their time and effort and said the council was "here to support you."

Last week Hands Up Penryn held an event at Glen View with residents invited to a caravan for tea and cake, where they could have their photograph two Falmouth University photography graduates, and encouraged to engage with the project.