Queenslanders have final say on community health projects
Four community health projects have been granted funding from Medibank thanks to the votes of local Queenslanders.
Buderim Men's Shed, Queensland Outdoor Recreation Federation, The Migrant Centre Organisation Inc. and Happy Healthy Kidz Australia Inc will each share in the $600,000 worth of funding which has been made available through the 2015 Medibank Community Grants program.
Medibank Chief Customer Officer, Laz Cotsios said each project addresses an identified health need impacting the Queensland community.
“The five health projects have won the hearts of Queenslanders and bring Medibank’s for better health purpose to life, by encouraging local communities to eat healthier, exercise more and stay connected with those around them”, Mr Cotsios said.
“The projects will play a vital role combatting the onset of preventable diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes and work towards ensuring the health of our next generation”.
The 2015 grants round was highly contested with more than 500 applications from community organisations around Australia and New Zealand.
From here, 33 projects were shortlisted online by councils made up of Medibank employees. The Australian community were then asked to vote for the community health program that was not only relevant to where they live but their own personal values.
“It was a really important and conscious decision for Medibank to get the Australian public involved in the grants program and give them the final say on which community health projects they needed the most.”
The 2015 Medibank Community Grant recipients for Queensland are:
1. Buderim Men's Shed – $30,000
The Buderim Men’s Shed helps male retirees by connecting them with men of similar interests and age, to build supportive relationships. Funds will introduce in-house cooking classes for home meals, snacks for grandchildren and weekly meal programs, utilising the excellent produce grown in the Shed garden.
Sports science shows healthy eating is a huge contributor to successful training, performance and recovery for anyone participating in sport or recreation. Through the development of an online toolkit, the Federation will give coaches and instructors important nutrition information to improve the health of new and returning adult participants.
3. The Migrant Centre Organisation Inc - $11,250
The Migrant Centre Organisation will produce a booklet to promote social participation and community connectedness with information on health programs and activities available to seniors on the Gold Coast, providing a ‘one stop shop’ for seniors looking for health and wellbeing information.
4. Happy Healthy Kidz Australia Inc. - $10,750
Funding will be used to support the delivery of the ‘Eat Smart B Active Healthiest School Awards’. As part of the program students are encouraged to make healthier choices to increase their classroom’s/school’s chance to win the Healthiest Classroom Awards™/Healthiest School Awards® title in their region.
