The Marshall Liberal Government is investing $600,000 across 34 projects to enhance the wellbeing of older South Australians, through this year’s round of Office for Ageing Well Community Grants.
The Grants program supports older South Australians, including those from diverse communities and backgrounds, to age well and be recognised for their valued contributions across their lifetime.
Successful projects this year include an initiative to bridge the gap between younger and senior generations of the Islamic community, and a program that links seniors with marginalised community members, supporting them to develop skills to increase self-esteem and build friendships.
Minister for Health and Wellbeing Stephen Wade congratulated this year’s funding recipients.
“I would like to congratulate the successful recipients for their efforts to support older South Australians, including those from diverse cultures and backgrounds, to age well,” said Minister Wade.
“These grants will support a wide range of projects that tackle ageism and ageist stereotypes, support older people to actively participate in their community and recognise older South Australians for their valued contributions across their lifetime.
“The Marshall Liberal Government is determined to support older South Australians to age well. These projects will help thousands of South Australians to do just that.”
The Adelaide Mosque Islamic Society of Australia will receive $40,000 for its Bridging the Gaps project which will see younger community members partnered with a senior member to develop a digital and hard copy book of their life stories with the assistance of an illustrator and a publisher.
Careship Coorong will receive a $40,000 Positive Ageing Fellowship Grant for its Yarn Barn – Tinker and Talk program to link seniors with marginalised community members, supporting them to develop skills to increase self-esteem and build friendships.
The Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI) will coach and mentor the grant recipients to develop and implement their project ideas long-term.
Director of Office for Ageing Well, Cassie Mason, said each of the Community Grants reflect the strategic priorities and enabling factors of South Australia’s Plan for Ageing Well 2020-2025
“These projects will lead younger community members to recognise the value of the senior members, relate to their lived experience, and build meaningful, long-term connections.” said Ms Mason
“Positive Ageing Fellowship Grants allow organisations to offer older South Australians a new way to become involved in community activities that enhance their wellbeing and reduce social isolation.
“TACSI’s involvement provides the added bonus of supporting grant recipients to imagine and plan for the extension of their activities into the future.”
Age Friendly SA Grants totalling around $200,000 will be provided to five local governments to support a wide range of innovative activities that encourage older South Australians to learn new skills and deepen their links with the community.
This includes the City of Victor Harbor, which will receive $60,000 to support its Connecting Through the Art of Ageing project which will reach out to communities in the Fleurieu region, encouraging them to use their artistic creativity to explore ageing as a lifelong process, expose the harmful impacts of ageism and create a showcase of their works.
Grants for Seniors totalling $150,000 have been awarded to 24 community organisations to support programs and activities to enhance older South Australians’ wellbeing.
The Grants will support projects including gardening and cooking workshops at Mount Barker, haircuts for seniors in Adelaide’s western suburbs and the collection of southern suburbs and rural seniors’ COVID-19 pandemic stories.
For more information, including the full list of recipients for the Office for Ageing Well 2021-2022 Community Grants, visit www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/communitygrants.
