NEPHU Priority Populations 2023-24 Grants Recipients

The Priority Populations Grants Program is dedicated to supporting health initiatives that make a real difference in our community. Focusing on both primary and secondary prevention initiatives, this grant program targets priority populations within the NEPHU catchment to enhance their well-being and health outcomes. NEPHU offered grants of up to $20,000 per project.

Aligned with NEPHU’s Population Health Catchment Plan, which prioritises increasing healthy eating and improving sexual and reproductive health (SRH), the projects to receive grant funding are designed to benefit priority population communities, including:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
• Individuals living with a disability
• Culturally and linguistically diverse communities
• LGBTIQA+ communities
• People living in peri-rural locations
• Youth and older people
• Refugees
• Individuals experiencing homelessness

The NEPHU team received an extraordinary number of applications, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to all who applied.

Following careful consideration, NEPHU is thrilled to announce the recipients of the NEPHU Priority Populations 2023-24 Grants Program:

Diabetes Victoria and Engage Pasefika | Codesigning a culturally appropriate workshop and resource for the Pasefika community with a focus on healthy eating and diabetes prevention and management

Hume, Whittlesea and North-Eastern Melbourne

This project aims to increase consumption of nutritious foods, promote healthier lifestyles, and support diabetes prevention and management by empowering Pasefika community members and developing culturally appropriate education and resources.

This project will include:

• Community co-designed healthy, affordable nutrition resources.
• Workshop/s incorporating Diabetes Victoria tools and new codesigned content.
• Identification of barriers to healthy eating and food affordability for these communities, and their solutions.

Living and Learning at Ajani with CareNet, four Manningham Neighbourhood Houses and Bulleen Heights Autism Spectrum Secondary School | Manningham Healthy Food Future

Manningham

This project seeks to promote healthy, more equitable, sustainable food systems, improved access to nutritious and culturally appropriate food, and increased uptake of healthy food in Manningham.

This project will include:

• Improved access to fruit, vegetables and pantry staples via new partnerships, wholesale purchase options, expanded production of leafy greens in the Ajani Community Garden and purchase of culturally appropriate staples (Ajani Pantry).
• Improved access to healthy food at the Warrandyte Pantry in partnership with CareNet.
• Healthy cooking classes or nutrition workshops run across neighbourhood houses and targeted venues for specific target groups: children with intellectual disabilities, women, carers, parents of infants and young children, people living in peri-rural areas, and older people.
• Improved access to healthy food at the Ajani Hub Cafe for children with intellectual disabilities.

North Richmond Community Health and The Community Grocer | Mobile Fresh Food Market

Yarra

This project seeks to establish a mobile fresh food market to improve nutrition amongst people living in public housing and users of the Medically Supervised Injecting Room (MSIR).

This project will include:

• Low-cost produce in a new local market setting.
• Public Housing and MSIR nutrition education outreach programs including cooking demonstrations, recipes and information resources.
• Volunteers from target communities engaged in planning and operating market.
• Community food and nutrition events.

Selby Community House | Educating and empowering children with food aversions

Yarra Ranges and surrounds

This project targets families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and food aversions who live in peri-rural areas and surrounds. It aims to support access to affordable, healthy foods, strengthen understanding of nutrition and teach how to engage children with ASD in healthy eating habits.

This project will include:

• Specialist nutritionist-facilitated weekend workshops including education, children’s activities and family cooking.
• Resources to support nutrition and access to low cost, healthy food in the region.

Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) | Increasing healthy eating with diabetes

Banyule, Darebin, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges

This project seeks to increase knowledge of healthy food choices for diabetes management, support skills to identify healthier foods, and increase consumption of healthy foods in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People living with diabetes.

This project will include:

• Community consultation to design education program.
• Interactive series of workshops led by VAHS dietitian, including information provision and tailored support to empower people to better manage diabetes  .
• Program evaluation to support establishment of a sustainable service.

Your Community Health | Preserving Culture-Nourishing Health- Aboriginal Cooking Classes

Banyule, Darebin, Hume, Whittlesea

This project seeks to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members living in urban and remote communities who are facing food insecurity and health disparities. It aims to support participants to eat healthily by drawing upon culture, traditional knowledge and sharing cooking skills. It will celebrate Aboriginal food, community, and culture.

This project will include:

• Cooking classes led by Indigenous chefs and elders, focusing on traditional Aboriginal recipes and cooking methods.
• Nutritional education workshops.
• Intergenerational cooking circles.
• E-cookbook.

Community talks sex | Jika Jika Community Centre on behalf of Darebin Neighbourhood House Network

Darebin

This project will be delivered in partnership with Darebin’s Neighbourhood Houses, the Darebin Education Network and local schools. It seeks to engage local communities (including school councils) and enhance existing sex education content in schools. Target communities include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, youth, women and gender-diverse communities and LGBTIQA+ communities, as well as culturally and linguistically diverse communities and communities with disabilities who are connected to the neighbourhood house/s.

This project will include:

• Free Community Talks Sex expert panels hosted at Darebin Neighbourhood Houses engaging school councils.
• Stakeholder engagement with schools.
• Sharing of evidence-based resources.
• A culturally appropriate sex education forum for the Aboriginal Advancement League.
• Support to replicate the program for schools and neighbourhood houses.

Expression Australia with Sexual Health Victoria | Expression Australia Project

All NEPHU region LGAs

This project aims to increase knowledge of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) amongst deaf and hard of hearing people (including Auslan users), and support culturally safe SRH service provision. Target populations include people of all ages and LGBTIQA+ communities. The project includes capacity building to equip deaf and hard of hearing community members to deliver SRH education, and to equip SRH service providers to better support people who are deaf/hard of hearing.

This project will include:

• Development and delivery of a deaf awareness training package for SRH providers.
• Development of SRH content for translation into Auslan for video.
• Development and delivery of a SRH education program to train deaf facilitators in schools and community settings.

Women’s Health In The North (WHIN) | Supporting women and gender diverse people with disabilities to access safe and inclusive sexual and reproductive healthcare

Banyule, Darebin, Hume, Nillumbik, Whittlesea, Yarra

Focused on increasing SRH literacy, system navigation and self-advocacy skills for women and gender diverse people with disabilities, this project includes codesigned education and resources. It aims to reduce stigma and assist mainstream SRH services to provide positive experiences of care for these communities.

This project will include:

• A series of workshops offered in partnership with disability-led health organisations.
• Plain language resources co-designed with disability-led organisations
• Evaluation report contributing to the evidence-base.

Yarra Ranges Council | Yarra Ranges Sexual and Reproductive Health Project

Yarra Ranges

This project will target First Nations youth, young people who identify as LGBTIQA+, people who are living with a disability, and young people living in peri-rural locations.

In partnership with young people, youth service providers and local community organisations, the project will build the capacity of local youth service providers to create safe and accessible spaces for young people to access SRH information. It will improve young people’s knowledge and understanding of SRH and available supports in their area including community health services.

This project will include:

• Workshops supporting professionals to build capacity to engage in SRH conversations with young people.
• Workshop with a focus on building professionals’ capacity to engage in SRH conversations with LGBTQIA+ young people.
• Information dissemination and SRH resources for young people via social media channels and printed resources targeting vulnerable townships.
• School-based workshops focussing on SRH and SRH service access within the region.
• Online workshop for parents and carers on how to engage in open dialogue about SRH with young people.