Council funding for charity wellbeing centres in Hampshire will be halved as the local authority works to tackle an anticipated £132m budget deficit.

The cuts will affect 13 wellbeing centres as Hampshire County Council reduces annual funding from just under £1.3m to £625,000 from the end of January.

The decision was made following the Conservative-run council’s consultation on future services.

Solent Mind runs five of the affected wellbeing centres and said the decision to cut funding was “disappointing”.

Sally Arscott, chief executive of Solent Mind, said: “These cuts will affect all five of our wellbeing centres, along with those looked after by Andover Mind and Havant and East Hampshire Mind. 

“The cuts will mean the centres will not be able to continue providing their current level of one-to-one provision, and people with complex needs may not get the level of help they need.

“To hear about these funding cuts at a time when the number of people experiencing a mental health issue is on the rise, is disappointing.

“We will continue to support individuals who need it across the region, and the people we support will always be at the very heart of our plans.”

Hampshire County Council said its response to the consultation acknowledged the “difficult financial position” it was in as public sector finances are currently under “extreme pressure” after a decade of drops in national government funding. 

A spokesperson for Hampshire County Council said the financial challenges the local authority was facing required some “difficult decisions” on the continuation of funding to services it had traditionally supported but did not have a legal obligation to assist.

The spokesperson said: “The county’s network of wellbeing centres is currently funded by the NHS who provide the majority of the funding, alongside the county council. 

“The former is maintaining its funding, with the local authority continuing to provide more than £600,000 per annum towards the cost of running the network, along with the provision of two premises currently used by the centres in Eastleigh and Basingstoke, and managing the contract without charge.

“The decision taken to reduce the funding contribution in this way is not expected to result in any closures and will not impact on the county council’s continuing extensive provision of support for those who qualify for mental health social care in Hampshire.”