Grant recipients set to make a difference to health and wellbeing within the Latrobe Valley

The Latrobe Health Assembly has completed its first round of Health Innovation Grants with 23 local applicants awarded up to $10,000 in funding to develop their project in the Latrobe Valley.

At the beginning of 2018, the Latrobe Health Assembly launched its first Health Innovation Grants program, with the goal of providing community groups and individuals to bring together their ideas to help improve health and wellbeing in the Latrobe Valley.

The Latrobe Health Assembly received an excellent response from the community, resulting 23 applications gaining support for a wide variety of projects, all with the common theme of working towards a happier and healthier future for all residents in the Latrobe Valley.

Latrobe Health Assembly Chairperson, Professor John Catford said: “We were very pleased with the wide range of ideas, the quality of the proposals, and the enthusiasm of the applicants. They are a testament to people’s desire to innovate for better health in the Latrobe Valley with an emphasis on promoting physical activity, social inclusion and mental wellbeing.”

Successful grant applicants include funding for the Yinnar Primary School to transform its playground into a Learning Landscape, creation of a Serving the Valley Kitchen Challenge where participants receive practical training in the kitchen culminating in participants cooking for a 40-person event, funding for a local Beekeeper to provide training courses on beekeeping and promoting the bee’s importance within the environment, funding for a Mental Health and Wellbeing Skills Course and funding a program to introduce Grade 5/6 girls to tennis through free tennis clinics.

Over the coming months, the Latrobe Health Assembly will promote the Health Innovation Grant projects as they transition to active opportunities in which community members can participate.

Continuing its work within the Latrobe Health Innovation Zone, the Latrobe Health Assembly is also pleased to announce that funding has been made available for a second round of Health Innovation Grants, providing an opportunity for more community enriching activities that promote a healthier Latrobe Valley. Information sessions are scheduled for Tuesday 9th October (6-7pm at Lifeline, Morwell), Wednesday 10th October (6-7pm at Comfort Inn, Traralgon) and Thursday 11th October (6-7pm at Moe Library).