Older people in Hampshire will soon be able to access new, greener community transport to help them stay connected to the people and activities they love.

A coalition of organisations has been successful in winning a government grant of £566,000 from the Department of Transport.

It will trial new approaches to tackling loneliness through transport across Hampshire.

Three charities - Good Neighbours Network, Age Concern Hampshire and MHA Hampshire - will be investing in electric transportation and new programmes of activity designed to help prevent loneliness.

The programme will be evaluated by the University of Winchester and overseen by Action Hampshire.

The bid is also supported by Hampshire County Council and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System and will include training provided by Campaign to End Loneliness.

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Leah Campbell, CEO of Action Hampshire, said: “This is great news for Hampshire’s voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. We know that supporting people’s relationships by keeping them connected and delivering local affordable transport options based in their communities, have a huge impact on preventing loneliness and maintaining independence in later life.

"As communities, we can take action to help remove some of the obstacles people may face in creating create and sustaining connections. As a sector, VCSE organisations often offer a more personalised response: rather than someone simply being a ‘service user’, they are more likely to be seen holistically – and we hope these pilots will help demonstrate that.”

The scheme will include three pilots, aimed at reducing loneliness. The first is an e-bicycle based shopping delivery service, the second an accessible community transport pilot and the third will pilot the use of leased electric cars.

Dr Debra Gray, reader in social psychology at the University of Winchester, said: “This investment will mean we can learn more about the impact community transport schemes, including those run by volunteers, can have on loneliness, particularly among those older residents who may also be impacted by low income and living in remote areas. We will also be sharing learning more widely so that other community groups can look at how they can also make an impact on loneliness through their work.”

Ros Hartley, director of partnerships at Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICS, said: “This programme is a great example of multiple partners working together on a shared priority and we look forward to seeing the learning shared across our health and social care system – enabling us to build resilient communities for the future.”

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