Nearly a year since the outbreak, a fund to help people suffering from long-term illness following August's gastro crisis has been set up through a partnership between Hastings District Council and Hawke's Bay Regional Council.
In June both councils confirmed that they would set up the fund to help support those people who had been impacted financially through suffering serious long-term illness lasting for longer than six months, related to the outbreak.
The two councils had each contributed $100,000 to the fund.
"Our councillors, both district and regional, have a great deal of compassion for our people who have suffered serious on-going affects from the water-borne illness," Hastings acting mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said.
Hawke's Bay Regional Council acting chairman Rick Barker said no fund could ever fully compensate those suffering long-term illness.