MHA communities Winchester is one of the organisations to have recently received money through our cost-of-living grant scheme. The charity provides support and group activities to older people throughout the district, and has made use of the funds to launch a Warm Spaces project that can be accessed by anyone over the age of 60.

Speaking about their cost of living work, Anna from MHA Communities said:

"We launched our ‘Warm Spaces’ project on 11th January, since then we have held two sessions a week every Wednesday and Friday afternoon. At MHA Communities Winchester we work to support older people living in the local community to help maintain their independence and we have been hearing from many of those we support about their growing concerns around the cost of living crisis, particularly in regard to heating bills. We were aware of other organisations nationally setting up Warm Hubs and we felt this was something that we could look to offer as well. As we operate from a very central and accessible location in Winchester, we felt we had the right infrastructure in place to easily incorporate the ‘Warm Space’s project into our offering of services.

"We heard about the grant fund after attending the Winchester City Council Cost of Living Summit in November. We had already had thoughts about running a ‘Warm Spaces’ project but had yet to identify a suitable funding opportunity to make it a viable proposal so it launched at exactly the right time for us.

"The ‘Warm Space’ sessions are available free of charge for any person over the age of 60, regardless of whether they are members of MHA Communities Winchester. We offer a space which is not only warm and welcoming but also an opportunity to socialise and relax with a hot drink and light snacks. Attendees have access to games, reading materials and WiFi, as well as support with IT if needed.

"We are also providing access to information and signposting regarding benefits, other local services and support options, and we have invited other local organisations to come along and meet with people as part of the project. Transport can be provided for those who are unable to reach us via public transport due to cost, geography or accessibility needs.

"Applying for the grant was very straightforward, the application form itself was very short and the grants team were keen to work with us to ensure our project submission met the grant criteria. We received confirmation of the success of our application within a short time frame which meant we were quickly able to get the project up and running.

Find out more about MHA Communities.

Winchester Young Carers is a charity working with young carers aged 8 - 17 in the Winchester district, providing them and their families with wide-ranging support, whether it's to do with education and skills, wellness, social inclusion, or time to have fun. Rising living costs led to concern that the charity's volunteers wouldn't be able to continue the great work they do due to petrol expenses - that's where the Cost of Living Grant came in.

Speaking about the project, Lisa from Winchester Young Carers said:

"I attended the COL conference that Winchester City Council (WCC) had set up. It was a great chance to be updated and hear about the huge challenges that families are facing. I didn’t quite see how it fitted for young carers initially, but it dawned on me that with some young carers dropping out, and more requests for help with transport to get to our activities over recent months, this was something affecting our young carers' families, too. The Citizens Advice Bureau talked about the cost of living really affecting families with long-term disabilities- it occurred to me that families of young carers might be really struggling financially, but may not feel able to share this."

"With the grant funding, we are ensuring that our existing volunteers can claim petrol expenses when they need to, as we don’t want to lose any of our existing volunteers due to the cost of living increases. We also intend to recruit additional volunteer drivers for the Winchester District area and offer reimbursement of petrol when needed for our term time and holiday activities that they take young carers to."

"This grant gives us confidence that we can continue to ensure young carers are able to attend our activities when they are referred to us, through enabling us to continue to support and expand our team of volunteers- thank you WCC- we are so grateful!."

"The form was easy to fill out and dealt with quickly and efficiently. I did get a couple of questions in relation to my application, but as soon as I clarified a couple of things in my application, it was processed straight away. WCC staff were really helpful in answering my own questions too."

Winchester Street Reach is a charity that supports young people in Winchester and the surrounding areas through activities such as weekly outreach sessions, youth club nights, drop-in projects and trips. Winchester Street Reach is open to all young people, although the charity does focus its work on those experiencing disadvantage. With the help of the Cost of Living Grant, the charity was able to support a new warm space as Unit 12 in Winchester.

Speaking about their work, Stella from Winchester Street Reach said:

"We have delivered a youth club in Micheldever since 2012 - this has provided a warm and safe place for young people to go to on Monday nights. We have also delivered numerous targeted, centre-based workshops over the years since we started as a youth charity in 1983."

"For the specific warm place grant due to the Cost of Living crisis, we have recently moved to Unit 12 in October of 2022 and this prompted us to use the space to provide a warm place for the vulnerable young people that we work with and to reach out to more young people in the local community."

"I attended the Cost of Living forum at the end of last year which was very useful, both in terms of making contacts with WCC and partner organisations and also to hear about the specific Cost of Living Grant. It seemed to match our aims and objectives as a youth charity and we met all the criteria to apply."

"The grant has gone towards delivering a warm place, safe place project at Unit 12 for young people from 3.30pm to 5.30pm. They are able to seek support from our youth worker team with any issues or problems, take part in activities and have help with homework if they wish. During the session, we have a hot, nutritious meal provided by Munch who are also based at Unit 12, which the young people can sit down to eat with the team. As well as providing a warm place to go to after school, the attendees can also have a lift to our football project in Harestock afterwards and back home in our minibus."

"The participants benefit from access to our youth worker team in a warm place after school with a nutritious hot meal provided and a lift to and from our Friday football project in our minibus if they so wish. Some of the young people will be known to our team through attending our other projects or engaging with the team when out on detached youth work in their local community. However we are also hoping to reach out to new young people from the local community so that we can offer more support with the grant funding."

Durley Parish Council received Rural England Prosperity Funding to help surface and update the car park adjoining the much-used village hall.  The improvements included clearer markings around the parking bays and the introduction of two EV chargers for use by residents and visitors.  

   

Anne Collins, Parish Clerk, said: "The EV Charging points are working well and are used by visitors to the Hall and also walkers who use the Hall car park to go off for a walk around the area.  Many parents use the Hall car park to park when dropping their children off at Durley Primary School, which eases the congestion outside of Durley School at pick up and drop off times.  Residents also park in the car park when using the local bus service."

One user commented: "The EV chargers are well priced and simple to use, so the whole process is easy and seamless."

The UKSPF supported a twelve-week football and cricket programme for children from Year 3 to Year 6, culminating in an inter-school tournament at the newly-opened KGV Sports Pavilion.  700 children from ten schools participated, creating a sense of community and encouraging long-term participation in physical activity.  

• 85% of participants reported increased confidence in sports.
• 70% of teachers observed improvements in their children’s teamwork and communication skills.

Calum Drumond, Health Improvement Manager, said: "In addition to skill development, the project played a crucial role in encouraging social cohesion and teamwork. By bringing together children from diverse backgrounds, it encouraged cultural exchange and friendships that extend beyond the activities."

A grant from the Rural England Prosperity Fund enabled Bishops Waltham to replace the ageing minibus that provides vital access to social events for many local residents who live in villages that are poorly served by public transport.

Robert Shields, Chairman, said: "The funding has contributed towards a new minibus to replace a 10-year old bus that has become increasingly unreliable and very costly to maintain. The minibus has many scheduled trips linked to lunch clubs, dial-a-ride services and shopping trips, nearly all for the elderly and less able, so its constant availability is very important to the local community. The new minibus gives an assurance that this valuable service is maintained."

Denmead Community Centre received an award from the Rural England Prosperity Fund for solar panelling.  The trustees were anxious to reduce its reliance on imported energy as rising costs were inevitably being passed on to the community groups that hire the centre, threatening the viability of several.

In the first two months following installation, Denmead Community Centre was 80% energy self-sufficient and avoided emitting an estimated 3.5 tonnes of CO2

Bob Porter, Trustee, said: "REPF Funding through Winchester City Council enabled us to install a PV array at the Denmead Community Centre which will not only have environmental benefits but also reduce our costs enabling us to maintain and enhance opportunities and activities for all the residents of Denmead and the surrounding area." 

Easton Village Hall received an award from the Rural England Prosperity Fund for solar panelling.

In the first six months following their installation, the 45 solar panels generated 72% of the electricity used by the Hall. 53% of the electricity generated was exported to the Grid - equating to income for the Hall of £814 

Dr John Smith, on behalf of the Village Hall, said: "Fitting the solar panels to the roof of Easton Village Hall, funded by the REPF via Winchester City Council, has been a transformational local project which we hope will inspire others locally to consider similar sustainable projects"

A grant from the Rural England Prosperity Fund contributed to the installation of a ground source heat pump for Itchen Abbas and Avington Village Hall.

Cllr Christopher Langford said: "The project has enabled us to replace our old gas boilers with an open loop Ground Source Heat Pump. This will:

1. Enable us to keep our hire rates affordable for hirers
2. Reduce our carbon footprint significantly
3. Mean we can share our experience of the installation and running costs with the wider public"

A grant from the Rural England Prosperity Fund allowed Sutton Scotney Parish Council to install a solar PV array on the roof of Victoria Hall.

The photograph shows the completed installation being admired by Danny Chambers, MP for Winchester, Alistair Black, Chairman of Sutton Scotney Parish Council, and representatives of WinAcc who advised on the system.

Sue Neilson, Parish Clerk, said: "The project has enabled us to install 30 solar panels on the rear elevation of our hall. We are proud that this 127 year old building is playing a part in tackling the climate emergency. We have been able to demonstrate to the community that despite the age, a building can adapt to offset electricity costs and reduce CO2 emissions.   We are optimistic that there should be a 40% saving on our [electricity] consumption."

Nunnaminster,  later known as St Mary's Abbey, is located in the heart of Winchester city centre beside Abbey House and Gardens.  

An award from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund was used to replace the original mounted interpretation panels with freestanding panels at a lower level, offering better accessibility. The new panels include raised detailing and Braille to assist those with sight loss and a QR code which links to a screen-reader friendly version of the text, a glossary of terms and links to further reading.

Emalene Hickman, Culture & Creative Sector Development Officer, said: "Thanks to UKSPF funding we were able to install new interpretation panels at the Nunnaminster site, restoring a piece of Winchester’s history. The new, more accessible panels will ensure that visitors and residents alike will have a new appreciation for the significance of the site and its place in our city’s story."

A local guide said: "Just a quick note to say how brilliant the new information boards are! I tried very hard to read the last boards but they were very weathered. The new boards are fascinating, full of things I didn’t know, and I took a group there last week and they thought they were great! I am a Winchester guide and I will take groups there all the time now!”

An award from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund contributed to the cost of interim improvements to a central area of Winchester City that had fallen into disuse.

Eleanor Driscoll, Project Manager, said: "Friarsgate Park is a new vibrant temporary outdoor space created on the site of the former Friarsgate Medical Centre. The new space includes seating areas, a platform for arts and cultural activities, soft landscaping with wildflowers, and improved views of the River Itchen. Alongside the improvement works at Kings Walk, Friarsgate Park is one of several meanwhile initiatives being introduced as part of the first phase of Central Winchester’s Regeneration, as designs for the entire site are developed. It serves as a new outside community space as well as enhancing connectivity and biodiversity."

An award from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund supported an upgrade to the previous tarmac path network on the Devil's island section of the site.  This ensures that the path, located in a floodplain, will drain wherever possible towards the River Itchen and is fully accessible to all users.  

Katie Morgans, Principal Landscape Architect, said: "The project to overlay the tarmac path has meant the surface has been improved for access by all and has tried to address future flooding issues by allowing it to drain more effectively during a flood.  The project has also introduced areas of biodiversity which will act as flood mitigation by providing the lost flood storage within the existing floodplain." 

The photograph shows a stretch of the resurfaced path following completion of the works designed to improve drainage and prevent flooding.

An award from the Rural England Prosperity Fund paid for the foundations and earthworks for a new all-weather scout hut, the fabricated body of which was financed by private donation.  

James Fraser, Treasurer, said: "The construction of the Activity Barn will enable activities to be carried out all year round and not have to be cancelled due to inclement weather or low light.  In the past activities have had to be cancelled or curtailed due to the weather."

An award from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund has enabled visitors to enjoy the walks up St Giles Hill once again.

The existing wooden retaining wall was rotten and the bank was in danger of slippage or a landslide that could block a main access path on the hill. The fund was used to replace the wooden wall with a gabion wall of 40 lin.m, filled with limestone, topped with netting and then topsoil. 

Coral Rogers, Recreation and Projects Officer, said: "Shoring up the bank with gabions has opened up the path, allowing better access to residents, the wider Winchester town and the many visitors who visit St Giles Hill. It has also opened up the bank for native planting, benefiting biodiversity on the Hill."

Sustrans, the sustainable transport organisation, now known as Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, received a grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund towards the development of new walking routes around Winchester.

Anna Herron, Sustainable Travel Officer, Sustrans South, said:"This project has enabled us to develop and run 24 new health walks, across 5 different routes, with 42 participants taking part in at least one health walk.  Participants were asked to complete a short feedback survey at the end of the walks and the common themes in these surveys show that this project has benefitted the local community by giving walk participants an opportunity to:

• Meet new people and socialise (20 comments),
• Exercise outdoors and spend time in nature (15 comments),
• Relax, find peace and feel positive (8 comments),
• Learn about their local area (8 comments),
• Visit new places / places they would not visit alone (6 comments)."