Vulnerable people living at Littlemoor in Weymouth are to benefit from grant funding to help buy household items and find accommodation.

Local housing association Aster Group has been awarded £2,000 lottery grant funding to continue giving people a fresh start. The organisation has already been supporting residents in need, and the funding will allow Aster to help more people.

Support will range from new bedding and cleaning products to painting and decorating starter kits. So far, the grant has enabled Aster to source furniture for people who have been allocated their first home and has also helped homeless people with housing.

Aster said these vital services will help people to get the start they need in a new stable tenancy.

The cash grant was presented by Littlemoor Community Safety Group, a team working through the Big 4 Littlemoor project to improve the lives of the people who live locally.

The Big 4 Littlemoor project has seen £1m of lottery funding earmarked to boost the community over ten years. Recently it was able to secure funding for a local football club and activity clubs, as well as the grant to Aster.

Tonia Downie, head of housing at Aster Group said: “At Aster, our mission is to ensure that everybody has a home. By providing these vital initial services for people, we will be able to help them not only into accommodation but make it more likely for them to be successful and happy in their homes. Thank you to Big 4 Littlemoor for continuing to support the work we are doing.”

A Big 4 Littlemoor spokesperson said: “Aster has been working alongside the Big 4 Littlemoor project since its inception. We are committed to empowering any organisation in our area with financial assistance or advice if they are able to help develop the Littlemoor community.

"In this instance, we are helping Aster to continue their excellent work they have already provided with regards to community safety and support.”

During the coronavirus crisis, teams from Aster have also made over 9,000 welfare calls to some of the housing association's most vulnerable customers to make sure they have all the food, support and medication they need.

The organisation said its neighbourhoods teams have been working with local food banks to make sure housing association tenants can continue to access food and supplies if needed.