Older Victorians affected by the devastating 2009 bushfires will benefit from $750,000 in funding from the Victorian Bushfire Appeals Fund for activities to support their health and wellbeing.
The funding would be used to help older Victorians in bushfire-affected areas reconnect with each other and the community through physical activity, gardening and other skills-based and social activities.
Member for Northern Victoria Region, Candy Broad announced today that Alpine Health would receive $29,795 for their Alpine Health Promotes Fitness and Connection With Older Person’s project.
The project aims to connect and engage over 50's in low impact physical activity, with the expectation that it will develop and deliver, and in some cases enhance, existing walking and pole walking groups across the Alpine Shire.
“During times of emergency and the rebuilding and recovery that follow, older people are often heavily relied on by family, friends to provide advice and support”, Ms Broad said.
“The Health and Wellbeing for Older People initiative will help ensure that seniors themselves receive sufficient support to aid their psychological recovery and help rebuild their lives.”
Under the initiative more than $600,000 in grants is being distributed across 29 projects. The funding will be used by community organisations such as U3As, Men’s Sheds, neighbourhood houses and community health centres to run a range of activities including walking groups, art projects, community gardening, computer classes and cooking demonstrations.
Ms Broad said that an additional $150,000 was being provided to the Council of the Ageing (COTA) for a dedicated community development worker to provide support and specialist advice for funded community organisations.
Appeal Fund Chair, Pat McNamara said these initiatives have been made possible by generous donations to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund and that $1.3 million from the Fund had been specifically earmarked to help older people in bushfire-affected areas.
"We believe the aims of these initiatives reflect the intent with which people from Victoria, Australia and around the world so generously donated”, Mr McNamara said.
“We are confident that the projects funded through these initiatives will go a long way towards providing the support that older people in the bushfire-affected areas and the people of the Alpine Shire area so dearly need and help rebuild the communities they live in.”
Mr McNamara added that a second round of funding for older people was now available and invited community organisations to apply.
Grants are currently available for the following; up to $30,000 for physical activity projects, up to $20,000 for gardening projects and up to $21,000 for projects that help older people build social connections and address social isolation in bushfire affected communities.
The second round funding applications are due 7 June 2010. For more information contact the Office of Senior Victorians on (03) 9208 3855