A Winchester-based charity has received a massive financial boost for the next three years.

The Big Lottery Fund has awarded £7.2m to Fixers, a project which works with young people aged 16-25 to create social action campaigns.

Fixers is part of the Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT) and encourages young people to get involved in community and artistic projects such as anti-bullying films, healthy eating campaigns and online support groups for drug, alcohol and mental illness issues.

Staff confirmed the money will create around 70 new jobs, with at least 25 to be based at the head office in Winchester.

Alison Pope, director of projects at Fixers, said: “We are creating a mix of new jobs with two main strands of focus. We will have more youth workers working directly with young people and helping them to devise projects and we will have more creative people like artists and film makers helping make these projects a reality.

Margo Horsley, PSBT chief executive added: “I have been humbled by the effort and commitment that these young people have shown in making their contribution to society in their individual ways. “On behalf of all the young people that we have worked with and those we have yet to meet, we thank the Big Lottery Fund for enabling us to reach young people all over the UK.”

Peter Ainsworth, chairman of Big Lottery Fund UK, said: “Fixers has already proven that it can make a difference to young people within their communities by creating innovative campaigns that address issues of their choosing whilst helping change negative stereotypes.”

Formerly known as ITV Fixers, the project will use some of the funding to broadcast some of its projects on the television channel, with two Fixers films picking up Royal Television Society Awards last year.

The charity has also used the money to secure new premises in St Thomas Street and is set to move from its current Southgate Street office next week.

More than 5,000 young people have taken part in 600 Fixers projects across the country, including more than 100,000 hours of voluntary work.

PSBT is now aiming to involve around 21,000 new ‘Fixers’ over the next four years.