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Physical activity is ranked second only to tobacco control in being the most important factor in health promotion and disease prevention in Australia.

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Active Participation Projects

The following success stories showcase some of the inspiring projects funded with a VicHealth Active Participation Grant.

From young refugees playing in a local basketball league through to older people going on organised walks in their local area, the stories show what individuals and organisations are doing to improve health and connect communities.

They focus on the creative ways of addressing participation barriers and creating opportunities, from stakeholder support and partnership development to sustainable programming. They also illustrate the importance of having a passionate, committed and skilled person driving the project.

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A winning game plan

Bridging gaps with basketball

The Bridging Gaps with Basketball project is run by the Northern Migrant Resource Centre under the auspice of the Banyule City Council. The project was designed to establish five ongoing basketball teams for teenagers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. It took off immediately and there are currently seven teams running in two competitions.

Fun, friends and a wicked top spin

Keen-Agers Table Tennis is for older residents and retirees in local communities and is promoted as an enjoyable physical activity in a friendly social setting. There are 16 Keen-Agers groups throughout the state, with more in the pipeline.

Go west (and walk)

When two local councils in Melbourne’s west started thinking about a program that could promote health through low-cost physical activity, they couldn’t go past walking. And so the seeds for Walking Out West were sown. Five walking groups make up Walking Out West.

Life's better on a bike

As the state’s premier cycling organisation, Bicycle Victoria is always looking for new opportunities to increase the number of people who cycle. With this in mind, it applied for a VicHealth Active Participation Grant for Cycling for Health, a one-year program to encourage women aged over 35 years to build cycling into their daily lives.

Scoring goals

A soccer club improves participation on and off the field. Getting the children of the Namatjira Avenue Aboriginal settlement, 30km from the Victorian border, to play for the Mildura United Soccer Club has meant tackling some challenging barriers off the field.