As the National Assembly elections loom, your Argus is reporting on each constituency. In the first of our profiles, MARK CHOUEKE looks at Newport East.

THE constituency of Newport East - in the shadow of the giant Corus plant at Llanwern - had more than its share of problems over the past four years.

After it was announced in February 2001 that more than 1,000 workers at Corus in Llanwern were to lose their jobs, the Assembly stepped in with its response in the form of a rescue package.

In addition, there is ongoing contact between Corus' management, trade unions and the Assembly.

The Assembly has also committed £20million, £10m of that indirectly through the Welsh Development Agency, to Newport Unlimited, Wales' first Urban Regeneration Company (URC). Newport Unlimited is responsible for spearheading Newport's regeneration in the wake of the Corus job losses and has the remit of attracting future investment to the city.

Its chief executive, Graham Moore, revealed to the Argus in December that it plans to focus on three main areas of the city, one of them being the east Newport area including Llanwern itself.

Communities First was an initiative funded by the Assembly. The project is aimed at tackling poverty and improving the quality of life in disadvantaged communities across Wales.

A spokeswoman for Newport city council said: "Communities First recognised that if real solutions are going to be identified then these have to be developed jointly with local people, local authorities, voluntary and business sectors alike."

The Table of Deprivation listed the 100 poorest wards and communities across Wales which included Ringland, the Somerton estate and the Alway estate, all in east Newport.

The communities normally identify projects that would improve the quality of residents' lives and then apply for the money but in December 2002, the Assembly allocated £720,000 to Newport city council to be divided equally amongst the ten designated areas in Newport.

In Ringland, tabled as the 82nd poorest ward in Wales, the money has been ringfenced to provide CCTV at Ringland Junior and Infant Schools in Dunstable Road, improve lighting around the health centre car park and provide shelter and fencing around Ringland playing fields.

Before this, the Ringland area had already benefited from money for a youth worker and is currently applying for more cash to provide a development worker amongst other staff for a resource centre that runs from the Ringland shopping centre.

Ken Carey, is chairman of the Ringland Community Association as well as the Local Partnership Group, which includes business and statutory bodies, and is the platform from which applications for funding are made.

He said: "Regardless of your political views, you'd have to say that the Assembly has been good for Ringland."