VicHealth’s final alcohol culture change funding round provides a pool of $1.06 million to fund up to six projects delivering solutions to tackle risky drinking cultures for middle and older aged Victorians.

While patterns of drinking and related problems exist broadly across society, drinking norms are not uniform. We know that a one-size approach does not fit all and there is a need to target and tailor our health promotion efforts to reach those most in need, where the risk of harm is greatest.

Alcohol culture underpins the way people drink, including the formal and informal rules, social norms, attitudes and beliefs around what is and what is not socially acceptable for a group of people. 

The Alcohol Cultures Framework provides further information on our approach and should be used as a lens for designing and implementing community projects that tackle cultures of risky drinking.

Funding

Recent research has revealed middle-aged and older Australians are increasingly likely to drink at risky levels. As a result, VicHealth is seeking funding applications for projects tackling middle-age and older generations of drinkers – groups that have been overshadowed by a traditional focus on youth drinking.

The Alcohol Culture Change Initiative: Open funding round provides a pool of $1.06 million to change risky drinking cultures across two categories.

Category One: Middle and older age risky drinking cultures

VicHealth is seeking project proposals that target:

• Sports bar drinking culture
• Construction industry drinking culture
• Drinking cultures in regional and rural settings

Applicants are encouraged to select a target drinking culture and utilise the research insights outlined in the relevant Brief insight report (hyperlinks to reports above) to inform project proposals.

Category Two: Other risky drinking cultures

VicHealth is calling for applicants to identify specific drinking cultures that will provide a setting or target for intervention. Applicants choosing this option will be required to demonstrate their understanding of alcohol culture as defined by the Alcohol Cultures Framework. There are no age restrictions on this category.

Please note that all submissions will be considered, however funding for Category One submissions will be prioritised.

Up to six projects will share a pool of $1.06 million, over 24 months, to deliver their ideas and make a big impact.

The allocation of funding to the successful projects is intended to be flexible so that VicHealth can tailor funding to the characteristics of the individual projects.