Sydney North Health Network grants support our vision of Better Health Better Care.
The grants provide the opportunity for local health professionals and the community to identify local needs and prioritise activities and innovations that will support their communities. Funding for SNHN grants is determined when funding is available and current health priorities are identified.
Grants are one-off funding and are not a guarantee of ongoing funding.
Recently we have faced challenges related to natural disasters and a global pandemic, which can have a negative impact and a compounding effect of the health and wellbeing of our residents, the health system and the wider economy. To best support our communities, planning for future events, will minimise negative consequences, build resilient communities and achieve the best outcomes possible.
Sydney North Health Network invited organisations and community groups to apply for grants to support the community to be more connected, improving individual and community physical and mental wellbeing and resilience. As well as improving preparedness of communities impacted by extreme weather events, including by not limited to floods.
These grants have been made possible by the funding support of the NSW Ministry of Health.
The following grants were awarded for the 2023-2024 period:
| Grant Recepient | About | Focus population/ Local Government Area | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anglicare | Workshops for local Seniors and community service staff to prepare Seniors for formal and informal volunteering opportunities, building individual and community resilience. | Seniors across the Northern Sydney region | Resilience Building |
| Community Northern Beaches | Community Resilience Outreach Initiative is designed to be a proactive early intervention support, focused on people sleeping rough and those at risk, that are more vulnerable during extreme weather events. | People sleeping rough and those at risk in the Northern Beaches LG | Resilience Building |
| McKillop Seasons | Will deliver the Stormbirds natural disaster program for children; Season for Growth program for children, young people and adults; and Seasons for Healing for Aboriginal communities. | Vulnerable community members living in the Northern Sydney region | Resilience Building |
| Live Life Get Active | Providing 45minute outdoor activity camps in local parks, in an inclusive environment. These camps offer people | Adults living in the Ryde and Ku-ring-gai LGAs | Resilience Building |
| Be Centre | Therapeutic creative/artistic play, providing the opportunity for children impacted by weather events to build self-confidence and express their experiences and opinions. | Children aged 6-14 years in the Northern Beaches LGA | Creative Recovery |
| BBT | The ACTBACK program consults the local community to understand need; supports trauma-informed skills in storytelling, improvisation, vocal and movement technique, to devise a performance based on the experiences of the young people. | Young people aged 12-17 years in the Ryde and Ku-ring-gai LGAs | Creative Recovery |
| Relationships Australia NSW | Building community capacity through leadership training and resilience support. | Community leaders in the Northern Beaches, Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby and Ryde LGAs | Strengthening Community Capacity |
| KidsXpress | Providing learning seminars to parents, teachers and educators to equip them with Expressive Therapy strategies that incorporate expressive arts as a tools to support mental ill-health in children impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences, including natural disasters. | Young people and children aged 0-18 years in Ryde, Hunters Hill, Hornsby, Ku-ring-gai, Lane Cove and North Sydney LGAs | Strengthening Community Capacity |
| Empowering parents In Crisis (EPIC) | Parents Are First Responder Project provides activities that enhance healing, physical and mental resilience, crisis preparedness and social connection. Includes phone support; peer support; monthly walks. | Parents and carers of young people in the Northern Sydney region | Strengthening Community Capacity |
Australia has a long history of disasters and over the past few years there have been drought, heatwaves and bushfires, followed by severe storms, flooding and a pandemic. Some communities have been hit harder than others, but all have been affected. Communities impacted by extreme weather are to choose their response to loss and strengthen social connections, and assist with recovery whilst supporting mental health and community wellbeing.
These grants have been made possible by the funding support of the Commonwealth Department of Health.
The following grants were awarded for the 2023-2024 period:
| Grant Recepient | About | Focus population/ Local Government Area | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Be Centre | Provide two Season for Growth programs, to build children’s confidence and coping skills, awareness of their emotions and learning how to connects with others | Children aged 6-12 in the Northern Beaches LGA | Resilience Building |
| Good for the Hood (Lane Cove & Ryde) | Support opportunities for people to engage and connect socially and build resilience and community sustainability. Facilitating information exchange to assist | Vulnerable community members in the Lane Cove and Ryde LGAs | Social Connectedness |
| Lane Cove Council | Engage with people at risk of social isolation that live in apartment building, encouraging conversations about extreme weather preparedness and closer connection via the Meet Your Neighbours toolkit. | Socially isolated community members in the Lane Cove LGA | Social Connectedness |
| Lifeline- Harbour to Hawkesbury Sydney | Establishing two Connect Hubs in collaboration with local community members and organisations. Offering community engagement and reducing social isolation. | Vulnerable community members in the Willoughby and Lane Cove LGAs | Social Connectedness |
| Ku-ring-gai Council | Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness (P-CEP) workshops targeting people with disability, chronic health conditions to better understand their needs in an extreme weather event. | People with disability in the Ku-ring-gai LGA | Preparedness |
Launched in May 2022, the grants are in recognition of innovation and contributions of allied health professionals in response to emergencies and natural disasters, and in enhancing primary health services and community connection. Grant recipients will be delivering a range of evidence-based activities over the next six months.
Here are some of that ways in which these one-off small grants will support the delivery of allied health services in primary care.
Day Night Chemist Crows Nest
The pharmacy will be expanding its capacity to provide in-pharmacy vaccinations during and outside of usual business hours.
McDonalds Pharmacy St Ives
Pharmacist Immunisers are providing an in-home vaccination and medications review service for customers and by local GP referral.
Rebound Health
A multidisciplinary allied health team will be delivering a wholistic education and support program for people experiencing prolonged symptoms of COVID. The program aims to equip participants with knowledge and skills to safely manage symptoms, paced and tailored to their individual needs.
Activempowerment
Accredited Exercise Physiologists will be providing an in-home exercise program for seniors at risk of falls who are on a waiting list for a Home Support Package and are unable to access similar community-based exercise programs.
SquareOne Physiotherapy
Physiotherapists will be offering frailty screening for people aged 65 years and over. Coupled with individualised recommendations and resources, the program aims to reduce the risk of older people becoming frail or having a fall.
Avalon Beach Chiropractic
The practice will be delivering a preventative screening service at local community events. Aimed at reducing the incidence of musculoskeletal injury, the service offers individualised assessment, injury prevention recommendations and exercise prescription.
BoneFit Exercise Physiology
An Exercise Physiologist will be delivering a subsidised, group-based exercise program for those with or at risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis, including initial assessment followed by group exercise and education sessions.
DMC Health
The Chatswood Community Chronic Pain Program will provide evidence-based education, counselling and exercise therapy for individuals with chronic pain.
Renewed Health
The grant will help support the delivery of and access to the MyHealth Challenge, an online health behaviour change program for people with or at risk of chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or osteoarthritis.
The Modern Dietitian
An Accredited Practising Dietitian will be presenting a 10-week health education series aimed at increasing knowledge of the role of nutrition and healthy dietary choices in prevention and management of chronic conditions.
Bumpy Psychology
Developed by a psychologist with specialist expertise in perinatal anxiety and depression, the grant will help support the delivery of online learning modules and resources for soon-to-be and new mums.
Centre for Effective Living
The grant will support the delivery of an online, individualised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and psychoeducation program for people experiencing mild symptoms of stress, anxiety or depression.
Rhona Barker Psychology
A psychologist will be facilitating a psychoeducation program incorporating mindfulness based stress management exercises with bushwalking, an activity that benefits mental health whilst also allowing for social distances in an outdoor environment.
Ramsay Professional Services
Trained and accredited allied health professionals will be delivering the 8-week Indigenous Healthy Eating Activity and Lifestyle (HEAL™) program to local Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander community members.
RWA Psychology Family Matters
The grant will support the delivery of the Circle of Security Parenting Program (0-5 years), an internationally recognised early intervention program aimed at strengthening healthy parent-child relationships.
Urban Physiotherapy
A physiotherapist, exercise physiologist, podiatrist and dietitian will be expanding digital access to online allied health modalities and content, with specific outreach to vulnerable groups.
Wise Care
A psychologist is running a program for residents of Willandra Village, who are required to relocate to other aged care facilities due to site re-development. The program aims to increase resilience and coping strategies and includes education on funding and support available.
MQ Health General Practice Clinic
The grant will support a multidisciplinary, team-based and coordinated approach to improving access to psychology and social work support services.
The Cottage Counselling Centre
The grant will help build skills and capacity in delivery of specialised domestic and family violence counselling services. Funding will also support training and seminars for community agencies and help subsidise the cost of counselling for clients experiencing financial difficulty.
Wound Innovations
Wound Innovations is delivering four Fundamentals of Wound Management workshops for nurses and care staff working in residential aged care facilities in Northern Sydney.
WoundPods
The grant aims to build capacity and support the early identification and comprehensive health assessment of people aged 75 years and older who are at risk of frailty, falls and hospitalisation.
Sydney North Health Network is excited to announce the two successful recipients of the Community Engagement Grants.
In 2022 Relationships Australia NSW and Mission Australia were commissioned to engage with the local Northern Sydney communities to identify the impact of recent extreme weather events such as floods, storms and bushfires.
These Community Engagement activities have identifed ways communities can support one another during such events. This will inform future activities that assist in building well-being and resilience, preparedness, response and recovery, for future extreme weather events, and natural disasters.
Please see below the final reports from the Community Engagement consultation:
Immediate Response Grants – Natural Disaster and Extreme Weather: Wellbeing, Resilience and Preparedness Program in Sydney North.
Sydney North Health Network offered Immediate Response grants of up to $10,000 to community organisations across the nine LGAs of Northern Sydney to community groups that are willing to provide grassroots activities between August 2022-June 2023. The funding will cover activities that support recovery through social connectedness, wellbeing and healing; for communities and or individuals that have been impacted by recent weather events in 2022, including floods.
| Organisation | Activity |
|---|---|
| Ku-ring-gai Neighbourhood Centre (KNC Care) | “Get Ready to Leave” practical program |
| Empowering Parents in Crisis (EPIC) | Peer support for parents of young people adversely impacted by uncertainty including weather events |
| The Burdekin Association | Creating garden retreat, building community resilience and safe eco friendly spaces for gatherings, mindfulness and care. |
| Street Work Australia | Weekly art program sessions for vulnerable young people |
| Link Wentworth Housing | Develop and deliver Live Well – social support club for residents |
| Phoenix House Youth Services | “Art is Therapy” program, aims to provide creative healing and resiliency plan |
| Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Community College (HKCC) | Offering fee free enrolment for health and wellbeing programs |
| Top Blokes Foundation | Weekly mentoring and wellbeing workshops for young males 14-17 yrs |
| Macquarie Area Rehabilitation Specialties (MARS) – t/a CREATE | Weekly art & tennis program and weekly lunch for people with mental health issues at risk of social isolation |
| Ferry Artists | Creating a wildlife themed mural on water tank at the primary school, with the students |
| Wisemans Ferry Public School P & C Assoc. | Outdoor Movie and Pizza Night for the school and broader community. |
Sydney North Health Network offered two COVID-19 related grants to General Practices.
The first stream of General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 grants were in recognition of practices contribution and ongoing efforts to the region’s COVID-19 response.
The second stream of Improving vaccination rates for specific CALD populations grants focuses on increasing vaccination rates of non-medicare card holders and populations often more difficult to reach. These grants will ensure our region continues to maintain high vaccination rates.
List of General Practices awarded grant(s)
| Asquith Doctors | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 • Improving vaccination rates for specific CALD population |
|---|---|
| Beaches Medical and Cosmetic Centre | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
| Belrose Medical Centre | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 • Improving vaccination rates for specific CALD population |
| Castlecrag Medical Practice | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
| Cremorne Medical Practice | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
| East Killara Medical Practice | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 • Improving vaccination rates for specific CALD population |
| General Practice Cremorne | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
| Gordon 7 Day Medical Centre | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
| Gordon Doctors | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 • Improving vaccination rates for specific CALD population |
| Health Promise Medical Centre | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
| Hope Medical Centre | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
| Hornsby Fountain Medical Centre | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 • Improving vaccination rates for specific CALD population |
| Hornsby Healthway Medical Centre | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 • Improving vaccination rates for specific CALD population |
| Hornsby Station Medical Practice | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
| Hunters Hill Medical Practice | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
| IPN Medical Centres | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
| Lane Cove Doctors Medical Centre | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
| Milsons Point Medical Centre | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
| MQ Health General Practice | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
| Northbridge Medical Practice | • Improving vaccination rates for specific CALD population |
| Pine Lodge Medical Centre | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
| Pittwater Family Practice | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
| Qualitis Health | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 • Improving vaccination rates for specific CALD population |
| Station Medical Clinic | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
| Synergy Medical Practice | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 • Improving vaccination rates for specific CALD population |
| Terrey Hills Family Surgery | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
| The Cottage Surgery | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 • Improving vaccination rates for specific CALD population |
| Victoria Avenue Medical Practice | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
| Dr Douglas Hor | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
| Rockwell Medical Centre | • General Practice Resourcing for COVID-19 |
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and strongly support practices that provide culturally appropriate services to Aboriginal patients.
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