GRANTS TO KICK-START ACTIVE KIDS AT ACTIVE SCHOOLS

The Andrews Labor Government is helping more kids in Melton get active and fostering the talents of Victoria’s future sports stars, with more support for schools to offer exciting sports programs and encourage physical activity.

Member for Melton Steve McGhie today announced that Melton Specialist School is among 96 schools to receive an Active Schools grant this year – part of the Labor Government’s $45.4 million initiative to give Victorian kids the skills, confidence and motivation to be active for life. Melton Specialist School has received $47,958 in new funding for 2022.

The Labor Government has today also announced more than $641,000 for new ‘innovative behaviour’ trials in some Victorian government schools, which will test the most effective ways to encourage adolescents to do more physical activity and maintain healthy habits for life.

Regional Arts Victoria is one of four organisations to successfully secure a grant across three key areas – quality school sport, active travel, and active recreation – to help address declining physical activity rates among secondary school students through their Circus Active program.

Other sporting and community organisations who will be supported to do this research include Victorian YMCA Community Programming (Quality School Sport), Cancer Council Victoria (Active Travel) and GippSport Inc (Active Recreation).

As part of the Active Schools initiative, the Labor Government earlier this year launched Get Your Move On, a campaign encouraging young people aged 5 to 18 years to get 15 minutes of physical activity, four times a day.

The Victorian Budget 2022/23 invested more than $20.8 million to boost the Active Schools program and promote long-term health and wellbeing in generations of young Victorians to come.

Quote attributable to Member for Melton Steve McGhie:

“We’re thrilled to celebrate Active Schools funding recipients – I want to congratulate all the successful schools in Melton for their work to keep young Victorians active, fit and healthy.”

Quote attributable to Minister for Education Natalie Hutchins:

“Regular physical activity makes a huge difference to young people’s mental and physical health as well as their educational outcomes – that’s why we’re investing in Active Schools to give every student the opportunity to find an activity they love.”