Clunes Health Finalists

The health benefits that result from community-based activities are well understood in Clunes and the value of initiatives demonstrating this has been recognised at a Statewide level. Did you know that two of the finalists in the Victorian Health Promotion Awards involve the Clunes based Art Attack program; and also the Wellbeing Scripts Building Systems program – which featured Clunes’ unique Weight off your Shoulders program?

With results announced in February, these two projects highlight how place based initiatives (one youth-led and involving the arts, and the other more directly health focused) can address mental wellbeing and strengthen social cohesion. Each of these initiatives were conceptualised with game changing in mind.

Art Attack - Future Healthy Award Finalist

Art Attack was a two year explosion of co-designed activities led by local artists, Asking for Trouble. The model is readily adaptable to other communities; and highlighted how the opportunity to design and collaborate with diverse artists could provide young people with voice, expression and opportunity. Embedding it at a Neighbourhood House helped provide the community with access to facilities, resources and volunteers to help accelerate what Art Attack was aiming to achieve. The success of Art Attack has sparked many conversations across art and community sectors about ways to help artists and community workers scaffold 'safe' and effective systems to help increase the health and wellbeing related outcomes that come from innovative projects like Art Attack.

Photo by Ann Jeffree.

Wellbeing Scripts Systems Building - Building Back Better Finalist

The Wellbeing Scripts Systems Building project was developed with scaffolding close links across the sectors from the very beginning. It was undertaken by the network of Neighbourhood Houses in Central Highlands, of which Clunes Neighbourhood House is one.

Weight off Your Shoulders was showcased as part of that project because it was a well-developed example of what can be achieved on the ground through cross industry collaboration (in our case, community and local GP’s).

One word for both of these projects. Proud.

AUTHOR: Lana de Kort.