HAMPSHIRE County Council’s executive member for adult social care has awarded £290,000 to community organisations to help vulnerable people to remain independent for longer, and those with complex needs into employment.

At her decision day on July 20, Liz Fairhurst agreed grants of £100,000 to a partnership of organisations led by the Good Neighbours Support Service and £90,000 to a partnership of organisations led by Carers Together.

The grants will help the two organisations support people with long-term conditions, unpaid carers, and people with mental health needs.

A £100,000 grant is also being given toward the Solent Communities Grant Programme managed by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation, to help people with complex needs to get back into work. The county council cash will be match funded by the European Social Fund.

Mrs Fairhurst said: “Voluntary and community organisations provide valuable locally-based services that are often rooted in the communities in which they serve. The benefit of funding organisations in this way is that their actions are often focussed toward early intervention and prevention activities, and that the services they provide are in the right place at the right time.”

The grants awarded to the Good Neighbours Support Service and Carers Together have an overall aim to help increase the amount of things people can do for themselves and boost their independence, by creating more opportunities for early access to community led activities, such as exercise classes or Men’s Sheds, which aim to reduce isolation among retired men.

The main objectives include helping people to stay safe by teaching independent living skills and to help to reduce falls, eat well by helping people to maintain a healthy weight and to develop cooking skills and enable social eating, be active by improving memory and mental agility and to keep people physically active, to provide access to information and advice that enables people to take more control of their well-being and lifestyle choices, and to connect by encouraging people to be socially active and to support the creation of friendships and supported volunteering.