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VicHealth is providing grants totalling almost half-a-million dollars to 12 successful sporting organisations who have great new ideas to make it easier for Victorians to get active.

Five of these organisations will deliver clever pilot programs that offer new sporting and recreation experiences, and new incentives for getting a wider range of people involved.

The five pilot programs include social indoor cricket, recreational gymnastics for teenagers, workplace challenges for employees who spend a lot of time sitting, a discount for ten pin bowling participants who walk to the bowling alley, and a before school recreation program for kids – all set in various locations across the state.

The activities are part of VicHealth’s plan to get 300,000 Victorians more physically active by 2023.

The Challenge aims to kick-start ground-breaking ideas that make the most of sport and recreational trends towards flexibility, a social focus, and less structure. 

VicHealth CEO Jerril Rechter applauded the winning proposals for their unique approaches to getting Victorians interested in becoming physically active.

“VicHealth is excited to be able to support such clever ideas. We know that being more active is good for the physical and mental wellbeing of all Victorians,” said Ms Rechter. 

“These programs will give Victorians more opportunities to get moving and to reap the health benefits of being physically active and socially engaged.

“Across Australia, people are leading less active lives, with less than a third of Australians getting enough physical activity. We also know that while many Victorians play traditional club sport to keep active, it’s not for everyone,” she added.

Victorian Minister for Sport The Hon. John Eren welcomed the new projects.

“We’re very pleased to see these sporting bodies developing such creative ideas and trialling new programs to get even more Victorians active, more often.  Sport plays such an important role in helping people get off the couch and get moving."

The VicHealth Innovation Challenge: Physical Activity will also provide four planning grants to organisations who will use the funds to further explore and develop ideas, and three grants to continue funding successful recipients of the first funding round in 2014.

 

The winners of this year's challenge undertaking new pilot programs are:

Gymnastics Victoria – Team Gym  A recreational gymnastics program for young people and teenagers who have never tried gymnastics. It also gives gymnasts who no longer fit traditional programs a way to maintain involvement.

Cricket Victoria – Indoor 4’s  Aims to boost cricket participation through an informal, fun and flexible program played between teams of four, for less than half an hour, at any time that suits the participants.

City of Greater Geelong, with GMHBA  A flexible, fun 10-week web-based workplace team challenge that encourages moving more and sitting less in workplaces, at home and in the community.

Tenpin Bowling Victoria, with Tenpin Bowling Australia – Strike and Stride  This program aims to get more Victorians active by providing Tenpin Bowling discounts when people walk to the bowling alley.

Aquatics and Recreation Victoria, with YMCA Victoria – Before school Energy Active Sports Tribe A before school group activity program for 10-to-12-year-old kids, run out of leisure centres. Run on school term basis, the program includes a healthy breakfast and transport to school.

Key dates and information:

The 12-month funding program runs from July 2016 to July 2017, with programs kicking off on varying dates, in different locations across the state.

More information on the Physical Activity Challenge can be found on the website: https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/funding/innovation-challenge-sport

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VicHealth Media Contact

John Fulcher, VicHealth Communications Manager | M 0412 978 263 | E  [email protected]