Two local organisations in Bellarine will help more children, young Victorians and their families live healthier lives, thanks to VicHealth’s $6.5 million Growing Healthy Communities grants program.

At a time when many families face barriers like limited access to healthy food, cost of living pressures or safe spaces to be active, these grants aim to promote good health and prevent chronic disease before it starts. These locally led projects will make it easier for families to access affordable, culturally appropriate, fresh food close to home, eat well, move more, and stay connected to their community.

Bellarine Community Health Ltd and Farm My School Ltd are among 82 organisations successful in the program’s second round of VicHealth’s Growing Healthy Communities program.

Bellarine Community Health LTD have been successful in receiving $50,000 for their project Active Girls Bellarine: A Co-Designed Project Across the Bellarine. This project will co-design and deliver a toolkit and training to support community clubs, groups and schools to build their capacity to enable female participation in physical activity.

Farm My School Ltd have been successful in receiving $150,000 for their project Sustainable Food Network – Building Resilient Local Food Systems. This project will expand their established veggie box program by partnering with sustainable local producers. This will create a producer network that delivers diverse seasonal produce to improve community access to nutritious food.

Funded projects will support health and wellbeing in the community by:

• Making it easier to be active through sport, recreation and shared spaces that strengthen physical health, mental wellbeing, social connection, and a sense of belonging.
• Strengthening local food systems by creating or improving places for communities to access, grow, share, and enjoy, fresh, local, and culturally appropriate foods.

Together, these initiatives help remove everyday barriers to good health for children and young people, supporting their lifelong health and reducing pressure on the health system.

VicHealth will also support grant recipients by connecting them with other local leaders and providing tools, training, and support to help maximise long-term health impacts for and with Victorian communities. 

VicHealth CEO, Professor Anna Peeters AM, said the Growing Healthy Communities program reflects VicHealth’s commitment to prevention and locally driven solutions.

“We know what people need to live healthy lives, but often the conditions around them make this difficult,” Professor Peeters said.

 “The Growing Healthy Communities program backs local ideas and knowledge strengthened by research evidence and expertise to make health and wellbeing more accessible, whether that’s access to affordable, culturally appropriate food, or places where people can move, play, and connect with ease.”

The second year of the Growing Healthy Communities program builds on strong demand from communities across Victoria. In its first year, the program supported 84 organisations across Victoria through $4.7m in funding, helping communities put health prevention into action at a local level.

Lines attributable to Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant:

“The Growing Healthy Communities grants program is supporting locally led projects that help Bellarine families to access affordable, fresh food close to home, stay physical and stay connected to their community.”