Health Promotion

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What is Health Promotion?

Instead of treating an illness or disease, health promotion aims to prevent it from occurring in the first place.

Health promotion empowers individuals and communities to take control of their health. This is often achieved through education, advocacy, and the creation of supportive environments. It helps communities build knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their health.

In health promotion we know that many factors affect health and wellbeing including social, economic and the physical environment. We also understand that some individuals or communities can experience poorer health because of these factors. Health promotion aims to reduce these gaps to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to live a healthy life.

What we do

Access Health and Community, healthAbility and Link Health and Community work in partnership to deliver Community Health-Health Promotion (CHHP) across Boroondara, Manningham, Monash, Whitehorse and the Yarra Ranges.

We work together to improve the health and wellbeing of our communities by improving healthy eating, active living, gender equity and reducing harm from tobacco and e-cigarette use.

Read more here:

Who do we work with?

We offer a range of free health and wellbeing support and programs to the settings where people live, learn, work, connect and play.

Early Childhood Services

Free to Be Me is an online program that supports early childhood services and educators to provide environments that promote gender equality and prevent gender-based violence.
Healthy Places, Healthy Futures provides a whole-of-service framework focused on six key health areas to support early childhood services to strengthen, recognise and celebrate their health and wellbeing initiatives.
Menu Planning Guidelines for long day care assists long day care centres to plan and provide nutritious, balanced meals that meet the dietary needs of children aged 1-5 years. This includes a Cooks Network which brings together cooks, chefs and educators to share ideas, connect and strengthen healthy food practices in early childhood services. 
Smiles for Miles is an initiative of Oral Health Victoria which aims to improve the oral health of children and their families in high-risk areas across Victoria. Only offered to early childhood services in the Yarra Ranges. Read our case study – How Smiles 4 Miles creates ongoing pathways to improve oral health and nutrition

Schools

Healthy Places, Healthy Futures provides a whole-of-school framework focused on six key health areas to support primary and secondary schools to strengthen, recognise and celebrate their health and wellbeing initiatives.
Vic Kids Eat Well is a statewide initiative that aims to create inclusive, nourishing and sustainable food and drink environments where children play, learn and grow.
Walk to School is a program that involves working closely with schools and council to create safe routes for students and their parents/carers to walk, ride, scoot or roll to and from school. This program is currently only available in the Yarra Ranges. Read our case study- Walk to School Program in Yarra Ranges.
Every Body in Every School is a toolkit that can be used by schools to help identify opportunities for improvement in promoting students’ wellbeing and health. The toolkit focuses on factors that can influence body image, physical activity, and healthy eating in the school environment.

Sporting clubs

Healthy Sports Clubs is a free program designed to help clubs build connected, inclusive and welcoming spaces that support members and the local community. Select from a range of health and wellbeing areas that best suit your club. Receive one on one support and resources. Read our case study – Healthy Choices and Commercial Determinants.
Healthy Choices Guidelines is a statewide initiative that provides guidelines that help sport and recreation centres offer and promote nutritious foods and drinks. 
Sport for All Gender Inclusive Toolkit: The Sport for All Gender Inclusive Toolkit is a practical self-assessment tool to help clubs and active recreation settings align with the principles of Fair Access. It helps identify strengths and potential areas for improvement to increase participation, opportunities, visibility, and access for women and girls, transgender, and gender diverse people.

Other Places in Community 

Active Living Yarra Ranges is a network of stakeholders that create opportunities and access to participate in free or low-cost active recreation for people of all genders, ages and abilities in the Yarra Ranges. Includes initiatives such as Active April, Belgrave Play and Connect and She Moves.
Step and Connect is an initiative in partnership with community houses that offers social walking groups aimed at increasing movement and social connection. Read our case study – Step and Connect Walking Together for Women’s Health.
Sunday Sessions is a program that offers free exercise and wellbeing activities on Sunday mornings for the month of August at participating recreation centres and neighbourhood houses
Smoke and Vape-free communities is an initiative aimed to support settings to adopt smoke and vape free policies.
Food Systems work supports councils, local partners and community settings to create nourishing, inclusive and sustainable local food systems.
Belgrave Play and Connect is aimed at providing accessible, free, and family friendly activities such as a Sports Library and permanent scavenger hunt in Borthwick Park, Belgrave.
Art and Sole promotes active living in Lilydale West. Experience the Wurundjeri story of Bour-deet in Poyner Reserve and listening to stories about Lilydale’s rich Wurundjeri culture and local history while exploring nine local walking trails.

Contact Us

If you would like to know more about our health promotion work, or are interested in volunteering with us, contact us by email:  health.promotion@accesshc.org.au