HAMPSHIRE County Council is to change the way it supports culture, recreation and community projects in order to slash its budget by £100,000.

Andrew Gibson, the authority’s executive member for culture, recreation and countryside, said: “It’s good news that, even though we’ve had to make savings, there is still a way that we will be able continue to fund the majority of the community organisations and initiatives we have been able to in the past.”

The council’s funding from central government has been reduced by 50 per cent and it needs to reduce the £1m it spent on such projects last year by 10 per cent.