Programs projects and lessons: States and Territories
Details and links (where available) of programs and projects in Victoria of relevance to the nutritional health of Indigenous peoples are provided here.
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Victoria
Indigenous
Project name: Good Food Great Kids - Yarra Valley Community Health Service 2002-2004
Project summary: The main objectives of this project were to increase the use of healthier foods within Indigenous families, to create an opportunity for local Indigenous children and their families to grow fresh, low cost vegetables, fruit and native plant foods and to improve the nutritional intake of Indigenous primary school children in the Healesville and Badger Creek area. To achieve this objective, three main projects were formed which included the establishment of an Indigenous community garden, a nutrition support and education program for Indigenous women, and a families and a nutrition promotion program in the two primary schools in the area.
View information: Good Food Great Kids an Indigenous Community Nutrition Project 2002-2004 (HTML)
View information: Good Food Great Kids an Indigenous Community Nutrition Project 2002-2004 (PDF - 1.3MB - large file warning!)
View website: Eastern Health
Contact: Jo Stanford and Doseena Fergie, Indigenous Health Service
Ph: 1300 130 391
Project name: Hungry for Victory - Rumbalara Football and Netball Club
Project summary: The overall purpose of this program was to promote healthy eating in the context of improving sporting performance.This program targeted a group of 40 Under 17 years and Under 14 years footballers at the Rumbalara Football and Netball Club who took part in a nutrition program. This involved a series of nutrition workshops, a mentoring program for younger players and a breakfast program where players and opposition teams were provided with a healthy breakfast prior to matches. Four nutrition workshops were conducted where participants received information about nutrition and were encouraged to tailor their eating habits towards maximising performance on the football field. Older players were encouraged to bring players along to have a healthy breakfast in order to pass on knowledge and encourage positive behaviour. A questionnaire was administered at the beginning and end of the program to measure any changes in attitudes and behaviour, which would then provide for an understanding of the effectiveness of the strategy. The program ran for the duration of the 2006 football season. The intended participation of the netballers was delayed until the end of the season due to changes in the netball competition and managerial problems attributed to the demands and responsibilities already faced by women in the community. Various resources were provided such as T-shirts and drink bottles bearing the Hungry for Victory logo. While not all players participated, those who did benefited greatly and the concept will be carried through to future programs.
View information: Koori community-directed health promotion in the Goulburn Valley (PDF - 50KB)
View website: Yarra Valley Community Health, Eastern Health
Contact: Dr Kevin Rowley, Senior Research Fellow, Onemda VicHealth Koori Health Unit, Centre for Health and Society, School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne.
Ph: (03) 8344 0814
Email: rowleyk@unimelb.edu.au
Project name: Koorie Kitchen
Project summary: Koori Kitchen is a small cooking program targeting urban Aboriginal people in Victoria. The program is co-ordinated by Frankston Community Health Service.
Contact: Tanya Gunnion and Kate McCluskey
Ph: (03) 9784 8125
Email: kmccluskey@phcn.vic.gov.au
Project name: What's Cooking
Project summary: This initiative organised by the Upper Yarra Community House, Victoria, involves cooking lessons with Indigenous elders and young people. A workshop will be delivered around the importance of healthy eating and how nutrition affects life-cycle stages. Youth and elders will have the opportunity to share stories of interest relevant to themselves and community. These stories will be recorded by the young people and photos will be attached to each visit. After the workshop and the visits from the elders, the youth will compile a cook book called ‘ What's Cooking', which will provide a resource that will assist in the promotion in whole community well being. The ‘What's Cooking' Cook Book will be launched and presented to the community as gifts.
View website: Upper Yarra Community House
General
Project name: Be Active Eat Well
Project summary: Be Active Eat Well is a community-based initiative designed to provide the opportunity, resources and support to build a community's capacity to promote healthy eating and physical activity.
View information: Go for your life, Victorian Government
View website: Go for your life, Victorian Government
Project name: Cooking for One or Two
Project summary: ‘Cooking for One or Two' is a basic 6-week cooking program originally developed by the Queensland Division of Nutrition Australia. It is designed to give veterans and the wider community confidence in preparing a variety of healthy meals using a number of easy cooking techniques. The program is based on the Nutrition Australia recipe book “Adding Life to Your Years”.
View information: Nutrition Australia
View website: Nutrition Australia
Contact info: Nerida Clarke, Project Manager, Nutrition Australia Victoria Division
Ph: (03) 9650 5165
Email: phn3@nutritionaustralia.org
Project name: Fruit + Veg program
Project summary: The Fruit + Veg program was piloted in over 50 Victorian Schools 2003 - 2004. It has involved over 20,000 Victorian children, their families and school communities in learning about and enjoying the eating and preparing of fruit and vegetables. This curriculum based program for primary school aged children uses a range of teaching materials, which aim to increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables. First produced by the Health Department of Western Australia, the program has been modified and implemented in Victoria.
View information: Department of Human Services, Victorian Government
View website: Victorian Government Health Information
Project name: Fun 'n' Healthy in Moreland
Project summary: Fun 'n' healthy in Moreland is a project aimed at developing and implementing a school-community based intervention promoting healthy eating choices, increased physical activity levels and improved social health and well-being for children and families in the City of Moreland.
View information: Go for your life, Victorian Government
View website: Go for your life, Victorian Government
Project name: Healthy and Active Choices
Project summary: The Healthy and Active Choices project aims to reinforce the messages of healthy eating, physical activity and healthy lifestyle by facilitating the provision and uptake of healthy food choices at regional sports facilities. Organisations taking part in the project are YMCA facilities (Ashburton Pool and Boroondara Sports Complex), Ballarat City Council (Ballarat Aquatic Centre), and Hume City Council (Broadmeadows Leisure Centre). Deakin University have been appointed to undertake an initial assessment of the current catering operations at the four facilities, and in so doing will provide advice and assistance to the facility operators, and undertake a formative evaluation of the project.
View information: Go for your life, Victorian Government
View website: Victorian Government Health Information
Project name: Healthy Canteens Advisory Service
Project summary: Practical information for canteens and food service in primary school canteens.
View information: Go for your life, Victorian Government
View website: Victorian Government Health Information
Project name: Healthy Eating Schools Program
Project summary: This program provides “on the ground” support and resources to assist primary schools in achieving two of the healthy eating ‘Kids - Go for your life' award icons. It is a hands-on 1 year nutrition health promotion program based on the Healthy Promoting Schools Framework,and focuses specifically on 3 areas; the school environment, the curriculum and the community.
View information: Nutrition Australia
View website: Nutrition Australia
Project name: Work place and wellbeing program
Project summary: The Victorian Division of Nutrition Australia has developed and implemented a sustainable program to assist employees achieve optimal health in the workplace & increase productivity. Tailored packages consist of numerous interactive lecture or workshop style presentations on a variety of topics, which are all supported by a large range of resources. Packages may also include health displays, cooking demonstrations, shopping tours and much more. These programs are conducted by qualified nutritionists/dietitians with expertise in a wide range of specialisations.
View information: Nutrition Australia
View website: Nutrition Australia
Project name: It's Your Move
Project summary: Five East Geelong and Bellarine Secondary Schools are participating in a State-funded project to tackle obesity. Students will track their eating and physical activity habits around the clock for the project, which is part of the Victorian Government's 'Go for your life' strategy.
View information: Go for your life, Victorian Government
View website: Victorian Government Health Information
Project name: Kids - 'Go for your life'
Project summary: Kids – ‘Go for your life' is a state-wide initiative to create healthier Victorian children who enjoy healthy eating and physical activity every day. The initiative supports early childhood and primary school services, as well as local communities, health professionals and families in the promotion of healthy eating and physical activity for children aged 0-12 years.
View information: Go for your life, Victorian Government
View website: Victorian Government Health Information
Project name: Start Right Eat Right Award
Project summary: This is a component of the Kids – 'Go for your life' program. Statewide implementation of Start Right Eat Right aims to increase the proportion of young children in long day care introduced to nutritious foods and good eating patterns in a positive environment. It is a suitable strategy for addressing concerns around childhood obesity. Child care centres have the potential to have an enormously positive influence on children's food preferences. They are ideally placed to allow children to experience a wide variety of foods and provide a good starting point in the development of healthy eating patterns. Start Right Eat Right training strengthens the capacity of child care professionals to engage families and provide practical and consistent nutrition information. Training is provided to both the centre director and cook by an experienced dietitian. To achieve the award centres must then demonstrate competency.
View website: Lady Gowrie Child Centre, Melbourne
Project name: Swan Hill Food for All
Project summary: The Swan Hill Food For All project is designed to improve access to and consumption of, fresh fruit and vegetables for healthy eating, and is a food security program. The Swan Hill Rural City Council (SHRCC) has developed a variety of activities in collaboration with businesses, organisations, agencies, institutions and community groups and representatives. More specifically, the project aims to develop a 'rent to own' appliance program; improve the supply of a variety of foods for healthy eating by working with growers, retailers and consumers; improve transport to retail food outlets; and to develop small business policy guidelines to encourage local retailers to stock healthier choices. As these activities become sustainable through group efforts, it is hoped this will in turn improve the access to fresh fruit and vegetables leading to healthier food consumption, which will enhance the health and well-being of our communities. The project will develop a partnership approach to not only assist with sustainability but also increase opportunities for community participation in advocating for improved access to a variety of healthy foods. The project is funded by VicHealth.
View information: Swan Hill Rural City Council
View website: Swan HIll Rural City Council
Contact: Sallie Amy
Ph: 03 5036 2376, or 04 2859 4784
Email: samy@swanhill.vic.gov.au.
Or, Fiona Gorman, Email: fgorman@swanhill.vic.gov.au
Project name: Teenagers talk about fad dieting
Project summary: Community conversations with teenagers on fad diets have been held around Victoria. The community conversations give teenagers an opportunity to talk about why they're attracted to fad diets, and what would help them to take up healthy alternatives. The focus is on the views and ideas of young people.
View information: Go for your life, Victorian Government
View website: Victorian Government Health Information
Project name: Vic Health - 'Food for all' program
Project summary: Nine local governments were funded for three years to develop innovative, integrated strategies to increase access to nutritious foods and address food insecurity for vulnerable groups. Resources supporting the program include the 'Promoting Healthy Eating Kit 2006', and the 'Environments for Health - Municipal Public Health Planning Framework (VIC).
View resource: Environments for Health - Municipal Public Health Planning Framework (VIC)
View website: Victorian Government Health Information
Project name: Victorian Food Security Network
Project summary: This is an electronic network of diverse Victorian stakeholders interested in food security. This website aims to provide support for local governments and other stakeholders, who are working with their communities to reduce barriers to local food access for healthy eating, and to improve food security. This site carries information resources specific to security including latest research, discussion, networks and models. The Food Security Network is supported by a funding agreement with The Victorian Health Promotion Foundation and auspiced by VLGA.
View current forum discussions
Apply for membership of the discussion forum
View information: Food Security Network, Victorian Local Government Association
View website: Victorian Local Government Association
Contact: Dr Beverley Wood (03) 9349 7941
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