THE Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation will host a visit by the chief economist of the Bank of England.

Andy Haldane’s visit to Winchester tomorrow (September 24) is part of the bank’s outreach programme to meet and listen to a wide variety of people from different communities and backgrounds across the UK.

He will meet with 25 Foundation representatives, partner organisations and service users to listen to local views and experiences in order to help the bank better understand and consider the impact of their policy decisions on Hampshire communities.

The policies of the bank impact on everyone’s daily lives, including the cost of mortgages and food, the value of houses and the availability of jobs, and the bank is keen to discuss solutions to some of the concerns faced by people on these issues.

Mr Haldane said: “We recognise that we have sometimes been better at talking than listening, so we hope that the meeting will be a two-way conversation that will help to put a more human face to the bank.

“We hope that attendees will gain greater understanding of our work, while the debate and conversation on the day will feed into the discussions of the bank’s policymakers.”

Grant Cornwell, chief executive of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Bank of England, enabling us to engage with and be responsive to the economic concerns of people and community organisations across our area.

“The Foundation awards grants to smaller, lesser-known community and voluntary groups who work on the front line helping disadvantaged and often under-represented people in order to make a real change to their lives.

“Participants to the event have been asked to consider the main economic and financial concerns facing them and their community and to make suggestions for creating a brighter economic and financial future.”

And he added: “It is fantastic that we can promote the personal experiences and views of our participants at the highest level in order to make a difference and bring better opportunities to the communities that we support across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.”

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight region contains areas of deprivation in the worst 10 per cent in the country and the Foundation continues to target grant-making toward those most in need.

For more details or to get involved, visit hiwcf.com.