Grants of £225,450 have been approved by Hampshire County Council’s Cabinet Members for adults’ health and care to support local initiatives that help older and vulnerable residents to stay healthy and independent for longer, reducing the need for statutory support.

Councillor Liz Fairhurst, the Local Authority’s Lead Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health has approved grants of up to £165,000 to assist  Hampshire’s district and borough councils to support older people to keep active as part of the Live Longer Better initiative.

Councillor Fairhurst said: “There is strong evidence that keeping active, is crucial to helping us stay healthy – both physically and mentally. Hampshire’s district and borough councils are really well placed to deliver local programmes that support people to be more active, due to their connections with their local communities and the voluntary sector, as well as their responsibilities for local leisure services.”

The wider Live Longer Better initiative is aimed at helping those heading into their 60s, 70s and beyond to make positive changes now to give the best opportunity of staying independent in later life. It is focused around four key topics:

– Being active

– Staying steady

– Hydration and continence

– Keeping connected

In addition, grants totalling £60,450 have been approved by Councillor Jan Warwick, the County Council’s Executive Member for Younger Adults and Health and Wellbeing, to support seven local community and voluntary sector organisations with a variety of programmes to help reduce social isolation, loneliness, and support greater independence.

Councillor Warwick commented: “Local people and organisations know their communities best and are able to target support that really makes a difference on the ground. The recipients of grants in this award round, have all shown how they will make a demonstrable difference to people’s lives – and very importantly how they will sustain that support going forward.”

The projects to receive funding are:

  • Safer Futures (Havant) for a project supporting 15 younger adults at risk of social care involvement, offering an intensive cognitive and psychological approach to support
  • Open Sight (Havant and New Forest) for a project to support local people with sight loss and visual impairment – providing practical in-home vision assessments, benefits and money management advice, as well as use  of tech support to increase independent living skills
  • Citizens Advice (Eastleigh) for dedicated support for carers to access financial information and advice through home visits and community outreach, helping them to take care of themselves, as well as their loved ones
  • Forest Forge (New Forest) for support for adults with learning disabilities to increase independent living skills through a series of theatre-based workshops
  • Friday Night Project (Fareham and Gosport) for support for people with mild and moderate learning disabilities via social and recreational support/activities, to help develop a range of life skills
  • Kingsclere Residents Group building on the ‘Kingsclere Monthly Meets Programme’, bringing older people together socially, thereby reducing social isolation and loneliness
  • Making Space (Havant and East Hampshire) for creative, crafts-based activities to draw people together on a weekly basis, providing peer support for local carers.

 

Councillor Warwick’s grants form part of the County Council’s Local Solutions programme, funding projects, which over time will reduce the demand on Hampshire County Council statutory services, helping local people to live healthy and independent lives for as long as possible. Grants provide one-off funding in specific locations. All Local Solutions projects must demonstrate how they will be sustained in the long term, beyond the life of the grant.

Since its inception in 2019, some £1,045,000 has been awarded in Local Solutions grant funding.

More information about the grants awarded is available on the County Council’s website.