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Message from the CEO

RHIF Round Two Grant Recipients

It is hard to believe that the end of the year is nearly upon us. 2024 has been a year of significant activity for Country SA PHN. In addition to our core activity Country SA PHN has been busy building the Rural Health Innovation Fund (RHIF). Launched in December 2022 the Fund is an exciting opportunity to enhance and support country South Australia’s innovative and holistic health and well-being outcomes. Through the inaugural grant round in March 2023, RHIF has provided funding opportunities for community-led programs to drive initiatives that support innovative, positive outcomes for our rural communities.

It has been inspiring to see the level of passion the round one grant recipients have for their chosen initiatives and the resulting positive outcomes. The recipients demonstrated a breadth of integrative health solutions for their local communities – ranging from mental health and chronic health condition challenges to innovative ways to improve connectivity for regional communities to access health and wellbeing services. These initiatives have evidenced successful outcomes and are now embedded as ongoing activities within their communities. It has been heartening to see the engagement, connection, and capacity-building that these initiatives have achieved.

Country SA PHN welcomed Susan Brown as the Country SA PHN RHIF coordinator in July 2024. Susan has been instrumental in forming our RHIF community – connecting the people and experiences from our round one grant recipients with other community groups. Susan is creating a welcoming, dynamic space for connecting, exchanging ideas, and sharing information. The RHIF community is an exciting cohort of country South Australians striving to support their communities in a myriad of different ways. While their challenges and initiatives may differ, they share a common goal of improving the health and well-being of their communities.

Round two grant applications have proven to be just as exciting as the first round. RHIF has received applications from across country South Australia and we have been impressed by the enthusiasm and dedication to assisting their communities that has been demonstrated in every application. As always, we thank everyone who has taken the time to engage with RHIF and for those who have been unsuccessful in this round, to continue to be an active part of our growing RHIF community. As RHIF is dedicated to continuously improving and innovating we welcome feedback.

I am pleased to announce that the following organisations and community groups are the successful round two grant recipients (regions aligned to Local Health Networks):

  • iReach: Second Beginnings (Riverland Mallee Coorong)
  • Women Together Learning (WoTL): The Regenerate Rural Women Program (Riverland Mallee Coorong)
  • Willaston Football Club Job ready, education and mental health and wellbeing courses (Barossa Hills Fleurieu)
  • Southern Yorke Peninsula Community Hub: SYP Sounds (Yorke and Northern)
  • Uniting Country SA auspicing (Crystal Brook Kindergarten): Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people component: A Place of Intergenerational Connection (Yorke and Northern)
  • Sanctuary on Eyre Inc: Sanctuary on Eyre Wellbeing Program (Eyre and Far North)
  • The Pinnaroo Project Association Inc: The Mallee Arts and Wellbeing Program (Riverland Mallee Coorong)
Second Beginnings

The Second Beginnings initiative aims to create sustainable work and volunteering opportunities for individuals with chronic health conditions, particularly those challenged with mental health and addiction issues. These people are often underrepresented in employment, and the initiative seeks to address factors affecting those living with disability, and contributing to premature death, such as poor nutrition, lack of purpose, and poverty.

The Regenerate Rural Women Program

The Regenerate Rural Women Program supports women in agriculture and horticulture, helping them reconnect with their strengths and build resilience. This initiative aims to provide tools and strategies to improve personal well-being and resilience, benefiting the broader community; especially when faced with a crisis. Project support includes Skill Development, Personal Growth, Goal Setting, Community Connection, and Confidence Building.

Willaston Football Club

This initiative supports youth aged 12 to 14, men’s and women’s football teams, associated Netball and Cricket clubs, and broader community members in Gawler and surrounding suburbs. It provides support through a Job Ready Program, an Education Course that engages the Sammy D Foundation addressing violence prevention, positive role modelling, and an alcohol and drug misuse program for all ages. A partnership with the Real-Life Resilience Program will run community sessions focusing on mental health, wellbeing, resilience, and connection.

SYP Sounds

SYP Sounds is a music and arts-based Mental Health project in which musicians engage with young people to co-create and record songs based on lived experiences. This collaborative project supports wellbeing through creative processes, social connection, skill-building, and self-expression. The project aims to reduce loneliness and isolation, increase connection and acceptance, and improve overall wellbeing.

A Place of Intergenerational Connection

Weekly visits by the Crystal Brook Kindergarten children to the Roseview Residential Aged Care Home bring immense joy to the residents, including those with dementia. Community support for this existing program has been strong, as people have observed and recognised the importance of these connections and the improvement in participants' wellbeing.

The RHIF grant will increase support to the community’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Their connection to land, culture, and the local community, is strongly aligned with the RHIF mission. RHIF, through this grant, is specifically supporting and celebrating the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s contribution to the Crystal Brook area and surrounds

Sanctuary on Eyre Wellbeing Program

Sanctuary on Eyre’s mission is to provide a haven for animals and promote the therapeutic connection between animals and people. This initiative will broaden that experience to include trained staff visiting schools and residential aged care homes in the Lower Eyre to connect animals with children and older people to enhance their wellbeing and social connections.

The Mallee Arts and Wellbeing Program

This RHIF grant will enable the successful Pinnaroo Project to continue and expand the Mallee Arts and Wellbeing Program. This program will engage more marginalised community members, including those who are Culturally and Linguistically Diverse, LGBTIQA+, elderly, young, and isolated individuals, through art and connective activities. It will cover Parrakie, Geranium, Lameroo, Parilla, and Pinnaroo, aiming to improve skills, social cohesion, and reduce isolation and barriers.

We are excited to be a part of these initiatives as we support their growth and assist these community organisations to achieve their goals. Each one of these programs aims to innovatively fulfill a diverse range of need within their rural community – providing community led solutions to meet these needs. RHIF’s unique focus on innovation and equitable outcomes continues to encourage integrative, connected community-based programs to meet the needs of country South Australians.

RHIF’s approach and the initiatives of our round two grant recipients sits firmly within Country SA PHN’s Strategic Plan and our values. They strongly align with Country SA PHN’s mission to bridge the gap in health inequity and our vision of better health and wellbeing outcomes for all country South Australians.

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