BC Healthy Communities Society (BCHC), in partnership with the BC Alliance for Healthy Living (BCAHL), has awarded 15 communities that applied for funding to support upstream action to work towards measurable impact on physical activity, and improve opportunities for physical activity in their communities.
Communities had the opportunity to apply for individual community grants of up to $30,000, or for a regional combined grant of up to $100,000 for communities working together for impact in their region. Out of the seven successful Island Health Authority Region Communities, four will receive individual community grants, and three will receive the regional combined grant totaling $353,800.00 in funds granted. Out of the eight successful Interior Health Authority Region Communities, six will receive individual community grants, and two will receive the regional combined grants totaling $353,800.00 in funds for communities in the Interior Region.
Participating Local Governments & Projects
The following local governments and project proposals will receive support.
Island Health Authority Region Communities:
- City of Campbell River – PLAY Campbell River
- City of Colwood – OneAbility: A Collective Impact approach to improving sport and physical activity for persons with a disability.
- Municipality of Metchosin – Metchosin Active Public Space
- Penelakut Tribe – Penelakut Trail Development
- Regional District of Nanaimo – Improving Access – close to home
- Songhees First Nation – Songhees Wheelness
- Nanoose First Nation – Energizing Body, Mind & Spirit
Interior Health Authority Region Communities:
- Aq’am First Nation – Aq’am Physical Literacy Initiative
- City of Kamloops – PLAYKamloops (Physical Literacy and You)
- District of Lillooet – District of Lillooet Active Community Master Plan and IHA, FNHA Relationship Building
- Esk’etemc First Nation – Cuỳ (“cuwi”) – Get a move on!
- Village of Chase – Village of Chase Active Transportation Assessment and Strategy
- Xaxli’p – Moving Together for a Healthier Future
- Regional District Okanagan Similkameen – Regional Recreation Approach
- Rocky Mountain Metis Association – “Ta Saantii – Healthy Métis Communities”
BCHC selected communities based on their collaborative leadership efforts between local governments, health authorities, Indigenous communities and other sectors, their willingness to innovate, experiment and learn, along with their upstream approach towards measurable impact and opportunities for physical activity specifically, through one or more of the following:
- Improving access and/or inclusion for targeted populations or communities such as rural and remote communities, low-income families, children and youth, older adults and Indigenous communities.
- Healthy community design examples include integrating physical activity into the planning, engagement, and research of community design such as public parks, transportation networks, and public spaces.
- Healthy public policy such as integrating physical activity goals into an Official Community Plan, neighbourhood planning, or healthy community strategy development.
To support those communities or regions interested in utilizing their Active Communities grant and leveraging their project towards long-term measurable impact on physical activity, BC Healthy Communities will provide five communities with an additional support in the form of a coaching grant. The coaching grant will have three focuses:
- STRENGTHEN: Build stronger multi-sector collaborative tables around an issue or initiative resulting in increased trust and clarity, as well as improved governance structures;
- CLARIFY: Gain strategic clarity on the measurable impact that collaboratives want to have, and how they will work to achieve this;
- ENHANCE IMPACT: Build the conditions (knowledge, skills, mindsets, and structures) needed to identify and act on root causes that influence systems change for active communities.
Support and resources to enhance collaboration are provided through a partnership between BC Alliance for Healthy Living, BC Healthy Communities Society and the Province of BC.
More Information
If you are a local government outside of the PlanH Active Communities granting regions and want to find out about Active Communities Grants in your area, please contact your respective health authority. For general information please contact: grants@planh.ca, (250) 590-8432.
Contact
BC Healthy Communities Society
T: 250.590.8432| E: grants@planh.ca
