22 May 2018

Eight local organisations win health grants

| Ian Bushnell
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Healthy food in childcare

The grants will fund school programs for healthy eating.

School programs to improve nutritional outcomes for students and staff, a project to encourage older people to be more physically active, and a program to teach children to ride bicycles are some of the programs that have received funding in the latest round of the ACT Government’s Health Promotion Innovation Grants.

Eight local organisations have received grants to support more active lifestyles and improve the eating habits of Canberrans.

The grants are designed to encourage the community to find innovative solutions and creative ideas to create a healthier Canberra. Each organisation will receive funding up to $15,000 to develop their program.

The following organisations have received grants:

  • Amaroo School will conduct a student-led project that aims to increase the range of healthy foods available for purchase by students and staff at the school;
  • Community Services #1 will deliver a nutrition education program specifically tailored to the needs of their client groups;
  • Narrabundah Early Childhood School will deliver a nutrition education program that focuses on healthy lunchboxes for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander families that attend their Koori preschool;
  • Nutrition Australia ACT will develop and deliver a professional development module for secondary school teachers so that they have increased knowledge and confidence to teach nutrition education;
  • Pedal Power ACT will deliver a skills-based program that supports families to confidently teach their children to safely ride a bicycle;
  • St Clare’s College will conduct a student-led project that aims to enhance the healthy food and drink environment at the school in conjunction with their canteen provider and through the establishment of a kitchen garden program;
  • The Food Cooperative Shop will pilot a series of free cooking and nutrition classes for ANU students to provide them with the knowledge and skills to prepare healthy and inexpensive meals;
  • The University of Canberra will conduct a project that encourages older Canberrans to participate in physical activity in a range of natural outdoor settings across the ACT.

Minister for Health and Wellbeing Meegan Fitzharris congratulated the winning organisations and said the projects would help give the ACT the edge it needed to improve its standards of living and encourage more healthy lifestyles.

“When 80 per cent of the burden of disease and injury in the ACT is caused by chronic conditions, we need to tap into the intellect, ideas and creativity of our people and organisations to develop programs that will change habits and encourage change as early as possible,” she said.

“Prevention is more important than ever. It really is the key to taking pressure off our health system, helping people understand their health better and improving the health and wellbeing of our community.”

For further details about the ACT Health Promotion Grants Program, visit www.health.act.gov.au/hpgrants

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