Northern Health offers community grants

Northern Health is looking for community partners to help improve the health and wellbeing of those in the Northern B.C.

Five different Northern Health programs will be offering grants worth a total of $120,000 to support community organizations. The grants will be available to organizations that will work to promote healthy citizens and healthy communities.

The deadline to apply for the “Imagine Grants” is Jan. 6, 2011 at 4:30pm. You can find more information on the grants at www.northernhealth.ca or email imagine.grants@northernhealth.ca

Five types of grants are available:

* HEAL grants: Supporting groups and communities within Northern Health that are looking to take charge of Healthy Eating and Active Living and encourage sustainable change in their communities. The HEAL grants (up to $2000 each) will fund prevention-based strategies aimed at reducing risks associated with diabetes, cardiac and vascular diseases, obesity and cancer through programs encouraging healthy foods, gardening, cooking, active living and healthy lifestyles all year round.

* Heal for Your Heart: Aimed at communities within Northern Health to provide education and skill building to prevent cardiac and vascular diseases and/or secondary health problems for people already diagnosed with cardiac and vascular conditions. Grants of up to $2,000 will be awarded to applicants that demonstrate how education, activity and healthy nutrition choices can work together to prevent childhood obesity and/or promote healthy blood pressures among adults.

* Injury Prevention Grants: Supporting activities and initiatives promoting safety and the prevention of injuries in the Northern Health region. These grants of up to $2,000 each will focus on injury prevention initiatives among children and youth (0-19) as well as implementation of evidence based programs to prevent falls among seniors in community and residential care settings (e.g., PALS SAIL, SAGES).

* RoadHealth Grants: Available to community-based groups for road safety prevention projects that target drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, school children or workers. Grants of up to $5,000 each will support projects and initiatives with a “Fit to Drive” theme. Eligible initiatives will be aimed at reducing motor vehicle crashes and increasing the overall health of people who spend a lot of time driving, through education, awareness and the support of behavioral changes. These initiatives may include a focus on healthy eating, activity/alertness breaks, support of proper sleeping habits, promotion of screening for health risks common to drivers, defensive driving education, etc.

* Healthy Minds, Healthy Youth: Funded in partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada this grant is aimed at mental health promotion and addictions prevention among youth, ages 12-20. Grants of up to $1,000 will be given to initiatives using evidence based approaches with solid partnerships and sustainability potential.