Southern Melbourne PCP

Working together A strong partnership was developed amongst the agencies working together. New partners came on board and existing alliances were strengthened. The partnership shared goals, had a good mix of skills and experience, and a willingness to share resources. The project engaged well with primary schools but less successfully with early childhood services. This was likely due to the work loads of both staff supporting the project, and workloads of early childhood service staff. The project also involved the community in planning and decision making about how programs were run. This resulted in well attended programs and high satisfaction ratings from participants.
	A ready and skilled workforce By working together and sharing knowledge, ideas and skills; the project was able to strengthen the ability of agencies and workers to contribute to improving community health. Workers involved in the project also took part in a range of training and professional development activities that supported the work of Being Active Eating Well. The benefits of this will continue into the future, not only for promoting physical activity and healthy eating, but also for work around other health and wellbeing issues. Many workers involved in the project also joined the Kids – 'Go for your life’ professionals' network which meant they were able to attend forums and access great information and resources to help them do their job. A local forum was also held to promote and upskill workers and staff from primary schools and early childhood services about the Kids – 'Go for your life’ Awards program.
Getting Being Active Eating Well messages heard The healthy messages linked to the project were well received by the community. There was a relatively good awareness of the project and messages among the community at the conclusion of the funded project. Awareness, familiarity and support for the messages in the community were higher among parents whose children attended a school or service involved in the project, showing that the project made an important contribution. Linking with trusted state wide programs such as 'Go for your life' and 'Kids – Go for yourlife' worked well. The survey of parents showed greater familiarity with messages from the state wide campaign.
	Knowledge and skills for a healthy community Community-based programs such as Community Kitchens, Healthy Living in Australia, Playtime Buddies, Bizzy Bodies and Being Active Eating Well themed events were well attended and helped participants learn more about healthy lifestyles. Practical demonstrations and activities allowed people to put into practice new knowledge and skills. Some people involved in programs reported modest improvements in food choices and activity levels at home. They also reported sharing what they had learnt with family and friends. Things that helped pass on knowledge and skills included: Learning by getting involved in hands-on activities, especially for culturally and linguistically diverse communities Building Being Active Eating Well activities into existing programs such as the Dunkley after-school Club and Playtime Buddies playgroup
Creating healthy places for kids The Being Active Eating Well project fitted well with the goals of primary schools and early childhood services. Staff at participating schools and services put in a great deal of time and effort to support the project. Although no schools or services achieved 'Kids – Go for your life' award status during the project, many were making progress towards the award. The Being Active Eating Well Grants program for primary schools resulted in: Better access to opportunities for being active for students including installation of new footy goal posts and cricket nets, a roller door on a sports equipment shed, purchase of sports equipment for classrooms, a new athletics track, a new walking path and a dance program. Installation of new water bubblers. Formalising nutrition and physical activity policies to support long term changes.
	Strengthening community networks The Being Active Eating Well project’s main focus was physical activity and healthy eating, but programs were delivered in a way that also built strong communities by providing opportunities for making friends, fostering a better understanding of other cultures and linking people with other local services and programs.

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BAEW - Achievements