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Health and Community Services
March 30, 2011

Community Groups to Benefit from Provincial Wellness Grants

Through a Provincial Government investment of $700,000, 44 Newfoundland and Labrador community groups will implement and offer a variety of programs designed to improve overall health and wellness throughout the province. The investment is part of the Provincial Wellness Grants Program.

“The Provincial Government is committed to supporting community-based programs and services that promote and encourage healthy living and the significant funding we are providing for Provincial Wellness Grants further illustrates that commitment,” said the Honourable Jerome Kennedy, Minister of Health and Community Services. “I am certainly pleased with the scope and variety of this year’s grant recipients. There is no doubt that the community groups receiving grants will continue to engage residents throughout the province and give them the skills to live healthier, more active lives.”

Minister Kennedy was joined today by the Honourable Shawn Skinner, Minister of Natural Resources and MHA for St. John’s Centre, to present a grant of $35,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of St. John’s to support the projects Girls Decide! and Future Chefs. Girls Decide! will encourage and support girls’ participation in physical activity and help build self-esteem and independence. Future Chefs will teach participants the culinary skills required to prepare healthy snacks and meals. More details of the grants awarded this year are listed in the backgrounder below.

“Providing opportunities for youth to participate in recreation, wellness and leadership activities is important to the development of their mental, physical and social health,” said Minister Skinner. “I am very pleased with the Boys and Girls Club’s leadership in providing these programs, and our government’s continued commitment to support our youth who are the future of our province.”

The Provincial Wellness Grants, which are a key component of the Provincial Wellness Plan, enhance the capacity of communities to address wellness priorities including healthy eating, physical activity, tobacco control, injury prevention, mental health promotion, environmental health, child and youth development and health protection.

Budget 2010: The Right Investments – For Our Children and Our Future included $200,000 to increase the funding provided under the Provincial Wellness Grants Program, with a specific focus on increasing opportunities for children to be physically active and improving access to recreation facilities and services. As a result, 16 of the 44 Provincial Wellness Grants being awarded this year are Youth Physical Activity Grants.

“Providing our province’s youth with the knowledge and skills to make healthy decisions is a priority for our government,” added Minister Kennedy. “Youth Physical Activity Grants give us another avenue to reach our youth population.”

The Provincial Wellness Grants Program was launched in 2005 and has awarded approximately $3.5 million to over 170 community-based projects throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. The grants range in value from $5,000 to $40,000 and are awarded to a wide range of community groups such as municipalities, community centres, youth centres, seniors groups, Aboriginal groups, and athletic associations. Proposals for Provincial Wellness Grants are assessed based on a number of criteria including, community involvement to improve well-being; developing skills and knowledge within the community; and building on existing strengths in the community.

More information on the Provincial Wellness Grants Program is available at www.gov.nl.ca/health/wellnesshealthyliving 

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Photo: Community groups from throughout Newfoundland and Labrador benefited today through an investment of $700,000 under the Provincial Wellness Grants Program. The Honourable Jerome Kennedy, Minister of Health and Community Services, and the Honourable Shawn Skinner, Minister of Natural Resources and MHA for St. John’s Centre today announced this year’s 44 grant recipients and presented a grant to the Boys and Girls Club of St. John’s, one of this year’s recipients. The ministers were joined by Keith Hutchings, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Community Services and several children, who are members of the Boys and Girls Club, for the announcement.

Media contacts:

Jennifer Tulk
Director of Communications
Department of Health and Community Services
709-729-1377, 699-6524
JenniferTulk@gov.nl.ca
Denise Humphries
Executive Assistant for
Honourable Shawn Skinner
MHA for St. John’s Centre
709-729-4746
denisehumphries@gov.nl.ca

BACKGROUNDER
Provincial Wellness Grants 2010-11

Eastern Region

Bay Bulls-Bauline Athletic Association
The Bay Bulls-Bauline Athletic Association received $20,000 to support the development and implementation of their recreation master plan for the region. Two conferences will take place to assist the development of the plan.

Carbonear Parks and Recreation Commission
The Carbonear Parks and Recreation Commission received $25,800 to hold workshops to teach participants to grow and harvest vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers. Through the use of College of North Atlantic’s commercial kitchen, proper food safety methods of preserving, preparing and cooking will be demonstrated.

The Father Val Power Centre
The Father Val Power Centre in St. Mary’s received $21,000 to provide weekly sessions to community members to plan, plant and harvest fruit and vegetables in a community garden.

Flatrock Recreation Commission
The Flatrock Recreation Commission received $15,000 to conduct a needs assessment of recreational and leisure opportunities in the towns of Flatrock, Pouch Cove and Bauline as a first step in creating a long-term master plan for recreational services.

Garnish Community Centre
The Garnish Community Centre received $20,000 to design and manage activity programs for older adults and school-aged youth. The older adults program will include walking, stretching and lifting light weights. The program for youth will take place after school and include indoor soccer, floor hockey and volleyball.

Lower Trinity South Regional Development Association
The Lower Trinity South Regional Development Association received $30,000 to raise awareness of food security and promote healthy eating. Students and participants from the Family Resources Centres will learn how to plant seeds, care for their plants and when to harvest.

Parker’s Cove Recreation Commission
The Parker’s Cove Recreation Commission received $9,500 to establish a woman’s social club with a mandate to assist the women of the community in meeting their own health care needs and the needs of those they care for. It will provide health and fitness activities, including an exercise program, nutrition presentations and personal development opportunities.

Placentia Area Cape Shore Community Connections
The Placentia Area Cape Shore Community Connections received $25,000 to conduct a mental health needs assessment and to host two public forums in Placentia and St. Mary’s to launch their mental health road show. They plan to reach 34 communities.

Shea Heights Neighbourhoods Improvement Association
The Shea Heights Neighbourhoods Improvement Association received $5,200 to provide a number of social and education activities for older adults. Activities will include a number of bus tours and presentations from guest speakers on a variety of wellness topics.

Smallwood Crescent Community Centre
The Smallwood Crescent Community Centre received $30,000 for the continued development of their community gardening initiative. The initiative will be expanded to provide participants with their own gardening boxes to apply the “square-foot” gardening technique to grow vegetables in their backyards.

Town of Brigus Recreation
The Town of Brigus Recreation received $18,000 to provide seniors with exercise and educational classes, safe walking environments and social events to promote positive mental health.

The Town of Torbay
The Town of Torbay received $5,000 to hold a youth conference titled Training Your Body and Mind. The conference will be facilitated by the Recovering Addictions Fellowship Team (RAFT) and will focus on awareness sessions and testimonials on substance abuse.

Trinity Historical Society Incorporated
The Trinity Historical Society received $25,000 to implement healthy eating sessions for seniors whereby they will get together over a period of eight weeks to cook various meals and listen to a series of presentations on topics including injury prevention, healthy eating and fraud protection. The society will host a summer program for children around topics such as recycling, community gardens and square dancing.

Central Region

Boys and Girls Club of Botwood
The Boys and Girls Club of Botwood received $10,000 to implement the Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds program which consists of providing healthy snacks, cooking courses and healthy lifestyle information sessions.

Robert’s Arm Youth Centre
The Robert’s Arm Youth Centre received $8,000 to provide opportunities for healthy development by arranging trips to nearby towns to socialize with other youth. Various health professionals will deliver sessions on topics such as healthy eating, substance abuse, tobacco avoidance, self-confidence and injury prevention.

Western Region

Bonne Bay Cottage Hospital Heritage Corporation
The Bonne Bay Cottage Hospital Heritage Corporation received $23,000 to develop a community garden. Individuals or groups can lease smaller plots and a large plot will be developed for communal use.

Cox’s Cove Culture Committee
The Cox’ Cove Culture Committee received $20,000 to hold eight healthy eating events with the assistance of the regional nutritionist to promote healthy grocery shopping and cooking habits. The project will also expand their current square dance club to include grade five students at the Regional All-Grade School, establish a walking program and organize a tree, shrub and flower planting initiative.

The Newfoundland Aboriginal Women’s Network
The Newfoundland Aboriginal Women’s Network received $15,000 to provide culturally-based training to Aboriginal youth on how drugs can impact their lives stressing the importance of seeking help early for drug problems.

Organization for Community Actions Initiatives/ Family Outreach
The Organization for Community Actions Initiatives in Corner Brook received $20,000 to provide a 12-month healthy living program involving activities such as cooking sessions, bulk food buying and education sessions with guest speakers and field trips/outings. A large component of this program will be buying food in bulk for better prices.

Seniors Wellness Committee
The Seniors Wellness Committee in Corner Brook received $30,000 to host a number of regional speakers events covering topics relevant to seniors and their families, expand a falls prevention program, introduce a sustainable physical activity program, design and launch a regional Vitamin D campaign and address violence against older persons.

Town of Channel Port aux Basques
The Town of Channel Port aux Basques received $8,500 to hold a number of senior-focused activities over a six-month period. Activities will include swimming, bowling, skating, card games and an intergenerational awareness workshop.

Town of Lourdes
The Town of Lourdes received $15,000 to implement a series of social and fitness programs including aerobics, walking groups, cooking classes, dancing, card games and children’s playgroups and craft time.

Labrador-Grenfell Region

Charlottetown Peer Advocates
The Charlottetown Peer Advocates received $25,000 to implement a 36-week program to engage and educate the people of Charlottetown to take more control over their health and well-being. The program will include healthy eating and cooking class sessions, Kids Eat Smart program and exercise and walking programs for all ages.

Labrador Friendship Centre
The Labrador Friendship Centre in Happy Valley-Goose Bay received $15,000 to implement a smoking cessation program involving two three-month smoking cessation support groups for those who are trying to quit smoking and to provide awareness and education workshops to community members about tobacco use and health concerns associated with smoking.

Town of Bird Cove
The Town of Bird Cove received $18,000 to continue and enhance their current wellness programs such as Healthy Lifestyle Clinics, Seniors Fair, Healthy Snacks for Kids and Healthy Meals on Wheels.

Trapper’s Running Club
The Trapper’s Running Club in Happy Valley-Goose Bay received $15,000 to target two new groups including youth and high-risk populations; maintain the current capacity of the club and further grow successful programming from the past two years and strategically assess its approach to health promotion using the Circle of Health methodology to guide their programming.

Provincial

Food Security Network
The Food Security Network received $20,000 to increase public awareness and education around traditional food skills in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Newfoundland and Labrador Women’s Institute
The Newfoundland and Labrador Women’s Institute received $8,000 to hold six heart health workshops across the province using the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Community Action Kit. The workshops will be followed by sessions in local communities.

Youth Physical Activity Grants 2010-11

Eastern Region

Boys and Girls Club of St. John’s
The Boys and Girls Club of St. John’s received $35,000 to implement two youth programs. Girls Decide! is designed to encourage and support girls’ participation in physical activity and also help build self-esteem and independence. Future Chefs is designed to motivate and empower youth to develop healthy eating habits. Participants will learn culinary skills that will provide them with the knowledge to prepare their own healthy snacks and meals.

MacMorran Community Centre
The MacMorran Community Centre in St. John’s received $7,000 to implement a Let’s Play program which is a two-day per week drop-in program for parents and children. The focus of the program will include: socialization of children and parents, modelling appropriate behaviour, healthy child development and healthy eating.

Town of Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove
The Town of Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove received $7,000 to implement a drop-in, indoor soccer program for youth aged 11-16 years.

Tricentia Academy Healthy Active Living Committee
Tricentia Academy Healthy Active Living Committee in Arnold’s Cove received $6,500 to increase the awareness of the variety of physical activities that are available for children and youth in the Arnold’s Cove area. Participants will be exposed to activities such as field trips, swimming, skiing, wall climbing and camping.

Whitbourne Sports and Recreation Commission
The Whitbourne Sports and Recreation Commission received $9,500 to implement a number of recreational activities including physical and social activities and healthy eating sessions and workshops.

Central Region

Baie Verte Peninsula Family Resource Program Inc.
The Baie Verte Peninsula Family Resource Program received $5,000 to implement an eight-week gymnastics program for participants in 13 communities. The program includes learning appropriate techniques related to gymnastics, the importance of physical activity, communication skills, peer interaction skills and the importance of making healthy choices.

Community Youth Network
The Community Youth Network received $5,900 to expand the Sports Program for Youth and Kids (SPYK) to surrounding towns and community groups. Sports program will include volleyball, basketball, t-ball, soccer, baseball, kickball, badminton, dodge ball, ball hockey and ultimate Frisbee.

Eastport Peninsula Recreation and Wellness
Eastport Peninsula Recreation and Wellness received $13,600 to implement a three-part project that includes an after school program involving skiing, cooking classes and music; a volunteer expo consisting of a weekend of events to introduce residents to the volunteer opportunities in the region; and the implementation of the Steps Count Indoor Walking Program.

Harbour Breton Recreation Commission
The Harbour Breton Recreation Commission received $7,500 to hold weekly wellness sessions for parents and children aged 8-12 to learn proper exercise routines and receive information and guidance on nutrition and healthy active living.

James Hornell Boys and Girls Club
The James Hornell Boys and Girls Club in Buchans received $12,500 to increase community involvement in physical activity and making healthier choices. Youth will be provided the opportunity to become volunteers and become role models for the community.

New World Island Regional Recreation Committee
The New World Island Regional Recreation Committee received $20,000 to develop a physical activity and healthy eating campaign which will include both awareness of the importance of recreation, physical activity and healthy eating as well as programming for an Active Kids After School Program with softball and soccer for children, youth and adults.

Western Region

Dunfield Park Community Centre
The Dunfield Park Community Centre received $11,000 to provide educational and recreational opportunities for at-risk youth. The program is designed to help youth build self-confidence and self-esteem, learn valuable life skills and discover new interests.

Youth Outdoor Adventure Club
The Youth Outdoor Adventure Club in Lark Harbour received $11,000 to hold a number of physical activities including hiking, camping, snowshoeing and survival skills training.

Labrador-Grenfell Region

Regional Community Youth Network
The Regional Community Network in Flower’s Cove received $5,500 to implement the You Go Girls and Best Budds program which will include physical activities, crafts, painting, cooking and social events. A key objective of the program is for children to come up with their own activities, with the help of the staff and volunteers, to help them tap into their own creativity.

Provincial

G.I.R.L’s Run Club Program
The G.I.R.L’s Run Club Program received $23,000 to produce a G.I.R.L's Run Club manual to be utilized throughout the province and a training module and workshop to effectively communicate the program to interested trainers and ensure compliance to the body positive philosophy.

St. John’s Native Friendship Centre
The St. John’s Native Friendship Centre received $20,000 to bring Aboriginal youth and elders to bridge the gap between modern day-to-day activities and traditional Aboriginal teachings. Youth and coordinators will complete four one-week sessions of hiking in the wilderness with elders.

2011 03 30                                                5:10 p.m.

 
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