SOUTHAMPTON is to get a slice of a £1.8 million lottery windfall to help the city’s most vulnerable people.

The share of the cash from the Big Lottery Fund will help hundreds of homeless people, asylum seekers, migrants and victims of people trafficking, access health care and boost their social skills, confidence and mental health.

The £241,914 will be shared between 11 charities to help them continue or improve services over the next two years as part of the Chances4Change programme. The money is expected to help 365 people directly by teaching skills including healthy eating and cooking, communication skills and how to access services. But even more people are expected to benefit indirectly as skills and knowledge is passed to friends and family members.

The city was chosen as one of five areas of deprivation within the south to receive a cut of the grant. Southampton was put forward after it was identified as having an ethnically diverse population which could mean that people who did not have English as a first language would struggle to access support services.

With that in mind, the money from the lottery windfall will be targeted at ensuring that vulnerable people from across the community can access services that will improve their health and wellbeing.

Sacha Rose-Smith from Big Lottery Fund said: “This funding will extend a range of initiatives that we have previously funded across the South East region and help thousands to lead a healthier lifestyle and become more active.”