Welsh Government, Sport Wales and Public Health Wales have come together to deliver the first phase of the £5.4 million Healthy and Active Fund (HAF) - aiming to improve mental and physical health by enabling the adoption of healthy and active lifestyles across Wales.
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
Phase 1 of the HAF will provide £5.4 million of financial support, over a period of 3 years (April 2019 - March 2022), to projects that strengthen and develop community assets.
Money has been awarded to organisations who actively promote and enable healthy activity for one or more of the following groups:
- Children and young people
- People with a disability or long-term illness
- People who are economically inactive or who live in areas of deprivation
- Older people and those around the age of retirement from work
Speaking during a visit to the ‘Healthy Body – Healthy Mind’ project led by Women Connect First which aims to encourage BME women and their families into physical activity and healthy lifestyles, Lord Elis-Thomas, Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism said:
“Today we are announcing, in partnership with Sport Wales and Public Health Wales, the 17 projects which will all benefit from our £5.4 million Healthy and Active Fund. Each of these projects will contribute to the strengthening of community assets and enabling people adopt healthier lifestyles.
“When we launched the Healthy & Active Fund last July it was with the message that the benefits to our mental and physical health of healthy and active lifestyles are clear. These projects show a new, innovative approach to supporting people of all ages and backgrounds.
Vaughan Gething, Minister for Health and Social Services added:
“The projects selected seek to reduce inequalities in outcomes and barriers in a variety of ways. From intergenerational approaches to gardening; encouraging families to get active with their new born babies; to increasing physical and social activities for people living in care homes. There are other projects that look to support people with mental health issues to lead independent and long term active lifestyles, and one that uses sporting memories to help people with dementia.
“All of these initiatives support our long-term strategy for health and social services, A Healthier Wales.