READERS of the Hampshire Chronicle have voted for a Winchester charity to win a share of a £125,000 prize.

The Chronicle’s parent company’s charitable arm, The Gannett Foundation, provided the funding to support local charities across the country and local papers were delighted to have a £20,000 share to give away in the area.

Winchester Go LD, the charity representing Winchester, has won £770.57 thanks to votes from readers. The charity supports adults with learning disabilities live as independently as possible in the Winchester district and has about 100 members.

Eight charities were shortlisted and each won a share of the money, depending on how many votes they received.

Winchester Go LD will use the money to fund an online weekly Makaton singing group with Steve Maloney at Sign with Steve, supported by Sarah Criddle from Osborne School.

Steve is a special needs teacher from Southampton and has worked with the neurodiverse community for many years and has a passion for signing.

Chief executive Betty Chadwick has given “a huge thank you” to the readers who voted for the charity.

She said: “Winchester Go LD will use this funding to deliver weekly Makaton signing sessions to adults with learning disabilities on Zoom.

“Sign with Steve provides an hour of signing to popular tunes on Friday evenings, it is the highlight of our week for many (including our volunteers) and a truly fun way to start the weekend. Our members really engage well with the sessions, they are a great way to learn a new skill in a happy, relaxed and sociable way.”

Makaton uses signs, symbols and speech; giving a person different options which communicating. This is a particularly useful form of communication for adults with learning disabilities.

As well as Winchester Go LD, Amelia’s Rainbow; Cornwall Accessible Activities Programme; Communicare in Southampton; South Wight Area Youth Partnership; The Bridge Youth Project; The Safe Basingstoke and The Will Mackaness Trust will all receive a share of the money.