'HEAL'ing Help in Shepparton

The Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) project

Shepparton is the heart of Victoria’s Goulburn valley, located at the confluence of the Goulburn and Broken Rivers about 2 hours north of Melbourne. The regional economy has been traditionally underpinned by large agricultural and manufacturing (food processing) sectors, as well as transportation, retail, further and higher education sectors. However, the combined influences of drought / climate change and the ongoing effects of the GFC (Global Financial Crisis), as well as longer term structural economic changes, have severely impacted on the Shepparton and broader north-eastern Victorian economy and labour market in recent years (Alford, 2011).

Economic hardship has wide reaching effects within a community, and sadly, children are inevitably affected. Child and family welfare organisation Berry Street provides residential care in Shepparton for youth aged 13 years and over, whom the courts have determined cannot be safely cared for in their own home due to family violence, abuse and / or neglect. The residential units provide care for fifteen children with 24/7 staffing.  Noticing the children in their care were overweight and unfit compared to their peers, Berry Street wanted to make a change for these young people and help set them up to be healthier, more confident adults.

Getting HEAL up and running

Working in conjunction with Deakin University, they designed the Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) program to provide a platform for residential youth experiencing high levels of disadvantage to engage and bridge the gap from a health and wellbeing perspective. Participants were encouraged and empowered to set their own lifestyle goals, including health/fitness activities, and develop healthy eating habits.  They had the model all mapped out but didn’t have funds to cover the costs associated with health / fitness activities, and healthy eating activities as selected by participants. They applied for a McEwen Foundation Grant for the Goulburn Valley and received $5,000.  

Ms Lynette Moore, from Berry Street, said, “This funding complemented a program substantively funded by other sources. The FRRR grant focused on a discrete component of the project and added significant value.  We greatly appreciate the Foundation's recognition of this situation - and our work.”

Working together to share in the healthy lifestyle

Since the program commenced, additional partnerships have formed with YWCA, QUIT Victoria, and Sport and Recreation Victoria. Also, a number of Community Service Organisations have joined Berry Street in implementing their own HEAL programs and participating in accompanying research, including The Salvation Army Westcare, Wesley Mission Victoria and the Department of Human Services' 'Hurstbridge Farm'.

This extension to HEAL will strengthen the research into the program's effectiveness – as well as enabling more young people to benefit through their participation.  

Healthy futures – the proof is in the fruit salad

The HEAL program is has had a positive impact on both the young people residing in Berry Street residential care units and their carers. The HEAL program has seen some remarkable changes in the clients' eating and physical activity behavior, as well as involvement in community sporting teams. In addition to these benefits, the HEAL carers experienced a significant boost in engagement in the HEAL program, once they saw tangible or ‘hard’ benefits emerging from the program, and engaged in additional professional development activities and furthering qualifications. A win-win situation for all!