The Medibank Community Fund (MCF) has awarded a $30,000 community grant to Parkrun Australia in Curl Curl, New South Wales.
Parkrun provides free, weekly timed five kilometre running, jogging and walking events to local communities in order to encourage physical activity, promote a healthy lifestyle and improve social connectedness within local communities across New South Wales.
The grant will allow Parkrun to establish five running events in St Peters, Parramatta, Curl Curl, Mosman, North Sydney and Lane cove and pay for costly license and council fees and ongoing administrative costs.
Medibank Retail State Manager for NSW, Dilan Perera said the program embraced the Medibank Community Fund's priorities of promoting 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 Parkrun Australia's application because their weekly park runs encourage people of all health and fitness levels to improve in their overall health and wellbeing by getting physically active", 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 Parkrun Australia and its park runs are doing just that".
Parkrun Australia General Manager Tim Oberg said many Australians live sedentary lives due to their occupation so weekly runs are a great opportunity to get physically active, achieve personal bests and meet new people at the same time.
"Through the weekly planned Parkrun events, everyone has access to safe, organised physical activity that encourages people of all ages to increase their level of physical activity and improve their health", said Mr Oberg.
Parkrun Australia is one of 42 recipients chosen from more than 900 applications across Australia and New Zealand to receive a 2014 Medibank Community Fund grant.