Council has welcomed funding from VicHealth's Partners in Place initiative to deliver place-based health and wellbeing programs for children and young people across the municipality.
The initiative aims to break down barriers that impact the health and wellbeing of children and young people aged 0-25 years, and Baw Baw Shire has secured $200,000 to contribute to this goal.
Working in partnership with schools, early years services, health and wellbeing organisations, community groups and families, the initiative will engage children and young people within their own settings and communities to better understand their experiences, aspirations and needs.
The project focuses on creating healthier neighbourhoods where children and young people can be active, connected and supported. Key objectives include improving spaces and places that encourage movement, play and recreation, while fostering stronger social connections, enhanced mental wellbeing and reduced experiences of loneliness and isolation.
Baw Baw Shire Mayor Cr Kate Wilson said the partnership would help build on the strengths and ideas already within the community.
"Through workshops, engagement activities and collaborative partnerships, the project will identify opportunities to strengthen local systems, services and environments that support positive health and wellbeing outcomes for our younger generations," she said.
Cr Wilson added that the initiative reflects Council's existing commitment to creating communities where children and young people are valued, heard and empowered.
"Children and young people are experts in their own lives. By listening to their voices and involving them in decisions that affect them, we can create healthier, more inclusive communities that better meet their needs now and into the future."
"The long-term vision is for Baw Baw Shire Council to be a community where children and young people consistently and meaningfully shape their surroundings, and where their insights are embedded in the systems, policies and practices that influence health, wellbeing and community life.
By working together with local partners and placing children and young people at the centre of decision-making, Council is investing in a healthier, more connected and sustainable future for the entire community."
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About Partners in Place
Partners in Place is VicHealth's long-term place-based prevention initiative, supporting communities to create healthier places where people can thrive. VicHealth will partner with 17 rural and regional councils and six community coalitions across Victoria to address the local conditions that shape health.
