SHE is one of the country’s best known comedians and now she has used her profile to back a cash-strapped Hampshire charity.

Probably best known as one of the presenters of the TV quiz Have I Got News for You, award-winning comedian Jo Brand has come to the aid of a charity that helps homeless young people and those suffering from mental health problems.

Jo - a former social worker and psychiatric nurse - is backing a £250,000 appeal launched by the Totton-based It’s Your Choice (IYC).

The charity, which celebrates its 30th anniversary next year, wants to enhance its services by buying the building it leases from Hampshire County Council.

Purchasing the former private house in Salisbury Road, Totton, could enable it to provide accommodation for young people with nowhere to go.

Jo, pictured inset, said: “It’s Your Choice is a fantastic charity that each year supports around 3,500 people aged 12-25, helping them with a range of issues including homelessness and mental health.

“Never has the work of such charities been more important. I’m delighted to be associated with this one.”

As well as appearing on Have I Got News for You Jo is also a regular guest on QI and Would I Lie to You? and is currently the presenter of The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice.

Last night her public show of support for IYC and the services it provides was hailed by the charity as “hugely important”.

IYC used to get an annual grant of £200,000 from the county council but the amount has plummeted to about £40,000 over the past three years.

The massive reduction has forced it to find alternative sources of finance such as trusts and charitable foundations.

County council leader Roy Perry said: “The financial pressures in the public sector are well known and the direct impact on the county council’s finances are not without consequence.

"The grant funding we receive from central government has more than halved in recent years.”

IYC is one of countless organisations that have suffered cuts in county council help.

As reported in the Daily Echo, scores of Brendoncare clubs, which help elderly people tackle loneliness and social isolation, have also lost vital funding.

Six of the 69 clubs across Hampshire have already shut and campaigners fear other closures could follow. 

IYS chief executive Chris Carey said many young people with mental health problems no longer met the increasingly strict criteria for receiving local authority help.

He added: “Winter is often a bleak time of year for some of the people we work with, especially those who are homeless. Being able to provide somewhere for them to have a hot meal and wash their clothes is a key part of the charity’s work.”

Mr Carey said the county council was supporting IYC’s bid to buy its premises. 

He added: “Purchasing the building is the best option. We will own the asset and can develop it in the way we want.”