Healthy communities are shaped by the people who understand them best. That is why VicHealth is working with local councils, Aboriginal organisations and community leaders across Victoria to improve the everyday conditions that support better health and wellbeing.
Through its new $21 million Partners in Place initiative, VicHealth will partner with 23 councils and community coalitions across metropolitan, rural and regional Victoria. The program will support locally led initiatives designed to deliver lasting benefits for communities across the state.
The initiative comes as chronic disease rates continue to rise and health inequities become more pronounced. It reflects a growing understanding that improving health requires investment not only in healthcare services, but also in the places where people live, learn, work, socialise and build connections.
Each partnership will be tailored to local priorities and community needs. Projects will range from improving food security in Melbourne’s north and west to creating more opportunities for young people in regional Victoria to connect, participate in physical activity and play.
VicHealth Chief Executive Officer Professor Anna Peeters said good health was built well before people required medical treatment.
“Hospitals and clinics play a vital role in caring for us when we are sick, but good health begins much earlier in our neighbourhoods, schools, sporting clubs and community spaces,” Professor Peeters said.
“Local communities understand their own challenges, strengths and opportunities better than anyone.
“Our role is to provide evidence, expertise and long-term support so locally developed ideas can create meaningful and lasting improvements in health and wellbeing.”
As part of the initiative, VicHealth has also launched a new Place-Based Resource Hub. The hub will provide councils and community partners with free access to more than a decade of prevention research, practical guides, toolkits and real-world case studies.
Together, the funding and resource hub will help communities take faster and more effective action by drawing on approaches that have already been tested and proven.
Professor Peeters said VicHealth was proud to support local leaders working to improve community health through strong partnerships and evidence-based resources.
“Healthy communities do not happen by chance,” she said.
“They are built through strong local leadership, trusted partnerships and sustained investment. That is exactly what Partners in Place is designed to support.”
More information about Partners in Place and the Place-Based Resource Hub is available through the VicHealth website.
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