Eastleigh Community Services - an independent charity serving the borough - is 25 years old and is throwing out an invitation to the public to help mark its silver anniversary.

Celebrations start on Wednesday, June 25 with a 9am to 4pm open day at ECS House, the charity's town centre base at 16 Romsey Road.

Organisers say the public will be welcome to tour the building, visit projects based there and view displays of the charity's work. It might provide an eye-opener for some.

ECS spokesman Paul Rollison said a surprising number of people were still unaware of what ECS was all about. The ECS transport manager said: "Even after all these years, a lot of people confuse us with the borough council or social services - though most people have come across one or other of our projects."

The charity manages 17 projects ranging from holiday playschemes for children with learning disabilities to day centres for frail older people.

The Carers Centre - including the Young Carers project - Eastleigh's Shopmobility scheme, Dial-A-Ride, the Volunteer Bureau and the Millennium Volunteer Project for 16 to 24-year-olds all come under the ECS umbrella.

Other services making a big difference to the lives of older and disabled people include Help in the Home, which covers housework and shopping, the Sitting Service, which provides respite for carers, Pegasus, which provides support for people with a learning disability, and the Home Information Project which provides a wide range of information, particularly to housebound people.

Many are familiar with the Eastleigh Community Services red or blue minibuses that drive around the borough on a daily basis taking church members, clubs and community groups to various activities.

ECS also runs a charity shop in Eastleigh town centre.

ECS now has 79 members of staff, 160 volunteers working within its own projects and a membership of 200 local voluntary organisations supported by the charity's administration and community development teams.