NEW health and wellbeing services for older people and those with physical disability could be run at a parish council in the New Forest.

Some Fawley Parish Council’s employees and volunteers are set to be trained to work with GPs and provide a range of fitness activities and services aimed at fighting isolation and keeping people active.

The free services are to be run at the Gang Warily Recreation and  Community Centre in  Newlands Road, Fawley which is run by the parish council and is where the authority’s offices are.

The number of employees who will run the new services is yet to be determined.

But Steve Postlethwainte, parish council clerk, said at list two of the 30 people who work for the authority and run the community centre and its facilities will be trained.

Among those there will be the fitness instructor and the recreational operations manager at the Gang Warily Recreation and  Community Centre, Mr Postlethwainte said.

He added they will also be supported by at least five volunteers who are currently being recruited.

Residents who will use the services will be able to take part in a series of games and physical activities aimed at improving their mobility, balance and strength. 

The centre is also set to be provided with new fitness equipment. GPs and care bosses will be able to refer patients to the trained staff.

If given the green light, Mr Postlethwainte said this would be the first time that such services will be run by a parish council in Hampshire.

The scheme could be launched in the next couple of months and if successful it could be rolled out across the county.

The news comes as today the executive member for countryside and rural affairs at Hampshire County Council (HCC) is set to grant  £30,457 to the scheme.

According to a document published by the authority, the services will be freely available to all members of the community who are referred and those who need it will also be able to use the community minibus.

A document published by HCC ahead of today’s meeting reads: “Across the New Forest there is an identified gap in health and fitness provision for those with physical disabilities and mobility issues, which this scheme seeks to address. Being able to refer direct from HCC and GPs to a free service run by qualified instructors is innovative, and with strict targets and milestones set, will allow us to judge the benefit of rolling similar services out to other parts of the county with minimal risk.”

The service will be available to residents who live in the east side of the New Forest.