Grant funding approved to promote healthy lifestyles in Mid Ulster
Mid Ulster councillors have approved a request for £5,800 in grant funding to support the delivery of two healthy lifestyle projects.
The Northern Healthy Lifestyles Partnership aims to tackle obesity through initiatives which tie in with the Department of Health’s plans to increase the percentage of people eating a healthy, nutritionally balanced diet; and to increase the percentage of the population meeting guidelines on physical activity.
As part of that overarching health strategy, the Northern Healthy Lifestyle Partnership (NHLP) recently sought proposals for projects/activities that promote opportunities for increasing physical activity, improving nutrition, tackling obesity, supporting breastfeeding, enhancing food sustainability and promoting healthy lifestyles across the Northern HSC Trust area.
The requirement was for projects to be delivered between June 2024 and March 2025, with grant funding for each scheme of up to £4,000.
Three project proposals were submitted. Living Well in Mid Ulster was allocated £4,000, while an additional £1,800 was granted towards summer neurodiversity camps.
A request for grant funding of £4,000 towards an initiative called ‘Mid Ulster Active and Healthy’ was turned down, as it was deemed to be a duplication of service.
At a Development committee meeting held recently, assistant director of Health, Leisure & Wellbeing, Kieran Gordon clarified that the initiatives approved by Council will be led by the statutory body’s Health & Wellbeing team, while sports coaches will help deliver the summer camps in leisure centres throughout the district.
The recommendation to allocate a total of £5,800 towards the two initiatives outlined above was proposed by Councillor John McNamee (Sinn Féin, Cookstown DEA) and seconded by Councillor Cora Corry (Sinn Féin, Carntogher DEA).