Unity in Test Valley has received a digital inclusion grant of £45,000 from the BIG Lottery fund.

The grant has paid for the new Unity Directory called the CHAWD (Charity Health and Wellbeing Directory) and is a search tool for people to find what free support is available.

It is an easy site to navigate, and you can use keywords such as Health Care, Social, Transport etc to find local charity organisations who may be able to offer the right support and contact details.

The Coronavirus has impacted on everyday services such as lunch clubs, social groups and other early interventions provided by the charity sector.

Unity’s voluntary sector support team are there to assist any charities or groups who may be struggling to recover from the impact of the virus, whether through a lack of volunteers, loss of members, a reduction in funding or a need for free digital support.

Unity also received an essential transport grant earlier this month which has allowed them to continue transporting residents unable to drive or use public transport, to medical appointments and vaccination clinics.

Terry Bishop, Unity Chief Executive said: "So many groups and individuals have suffered as a result of Covid-19 and Unity is working hard to assist in as many ways as possible to make life easier all around. Whether that is helping groups with funding advice, setting up new groups where a need has been identified or supporting individuals with a directory of services right across the borough to enable people to find local services and activities.

“The next step in this process, is to try and engage with groups who have not been in touch with Unity to offer them the opportunity of being a part of this fantastic resource.”

You can view the new directory of services by visiting https://v-base.org/tvcs/public/search-organisations