Scotland's first publicly funded community project to help people with chronic illnesses improve their fitness and stress levels using tai chi exercises is at risk because of a lack of government funding.

The Thistledown Tai Chi project in Dumfries has had positive reviews from patients and the NHS-funded staff at Building Healthy Communities (BHC) in Dumfries and Galloway.

Group members talk of increased strength and mobility, losing weight, dropping blood pressure, feeling more relaxed and having the confidence to move on to other forms of beneficial exercise.

But an end to financial support from the Community Regeneration Fund - set up by the then Scottish Executive in December 2004 to bring improvements to Scotland's most deprived areas over a three-year period - has placed the future of the tai chi project in jeopardy.

Sheila Campbell, community health development worker with BHC, said: "There is evidence to show that people with diabetes, people who suffer from hypertension and other illnesses can be helped with tai chi and that it is conducive to their wellbeing.

"I can only try my hardest to get funds, but if funding streams are withdrawn there is not a lot of control I have over that."