The Medibank Community Fund (MCF) has awarded an $11,600 community grant to Bankstown Women's Health Centre in Bankstown, New South Wales.
The grant will fund an organic garden where women from Bankstown Women's Health Centre in conjunction with the wider community can work together to grow, harvest and cook fresh and healthy meals while being physically active.
The garden will be home to a number of inclusive programs which will teach vulnerable community members valuable hands-on skills in sustainable gardening, waste management and food preservation.
Medibank Retail State Manager for NSW, Dilan Perera said the program embraced the Medibank Community Fund's priorities of promoting healthy eating, physical activity and greater community connectedness -the key selection criteria for the MCF grants program.
"Medibank employees on our Regional Council from across NSW, expressed overwhelming support for Bankstown Women's Health Community Garden's application because their program encourages women to work together and learn new skills that will improve their physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing for the long term", said Mr Perera.
"The Medibank Community Fund grants program supports local, grassroots initiatives that aim to create a lasting and positive impact on the mental and physical wellbeing of people in the community and Bankstown Women's Health Community Garden and its community garden are doing just that".
Bankstown Women's Health Centre's Tegan Harper said the grant will also allow them to run gardening skills workshops, open days and cooking demonstrations.
"The grant is allowing us to teach valuable cooking and gardening skills in a socially inclusive environment where women feel comfortable to learn new things, grow beautiful produce and share a healthy meal they created with people in the community", said Ms Harper.
Bankstown Women's Health Centre is one of 42 recipients chosen from more than 900 applications across Australia and New Zealand to receive a 2014 Medibank Community Fund grant.