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COUNCIL’S PLEDGE TO HELP HOMELESS Lacing up for Lisbon OWEN Howkins is set to travel across Europe to take on a marathon challenge in the name of charity. The 10-year-old from Basingstoke will race in the Lisbon Marathon in Portugal alongside step mum Colleen Drummond, who will push him in a specially adapted sports wheelchair. Owen suffers from Schwartz-Jampel syndrome, which leaves his muscles in a permanently tense state. • See page 7 for full story.
Borough to take control of support service from county THE leader of Basingstoke and Deane’s council has vowed not to “overlook the vulnerable in the drive for success” by pledging his support for a new pilot scheme to help the homeless in the borough. Funding for Hampshire County Council’s ‘Supporting People’ programme will be halved from next April – putting numerous homeless services across the county at risk of closure. But Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council is set to “take control of [its] own destiny” by taking charge of a three year housing support service model separate from the county council. The move would see the borough receive an annual revenue grant of £746,468 from the authority. It would then assume all responsibility for commissioning the service – something council leader Clive Sanders has labelled as “vitally important”. He said: “On one hand we talk about this being a successful borough, but we don’t want people at the bottom end, and the
By Christian Wilson christian@observergroup.co.uk
vulnerable to be overlooked in this drive for success.” Cllr Sanders continued: “It’s vitally important that we show as much commitment to helping the homeless as we do in helping to create more jobs. “This would give us a process which would be within the control of local organisations, which is important as it’s a local problem.” The borough council would also spend £100,000 of its own budget each year to help cover the drop in funding – with the county council currently contributing an annual amount of £1.3million through the Support People programme. Basingstoke’s council would work alongside local charities and housing associations in order to deliver housing. The scheme is expected to be approved at a cabinet meeting next Tuesday evening. • Continues on page 3
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