The Lockington and District Bush Nursing Centre has received a $40,000 boost to put towards improving health and wellbeing in the community.
The grant was awarded to the centre through the Violet Vines Marshman Centre for Rural Health in partnership with La Trobe University.
Project manager Lucinda Gibson said the grant would be put towards bringing community projects to life.
“My role is to listen and empower people to be leaders in the community and to use this grant to support them and to get these social connection activities going,” she said.
“The ideas are there, this grant is just facilitating them and it just really shows that there’s that need and that want within the community and all you need to do is inject a bit of funding.”
Since receiving the grant, some projects have been made possible, with many more to come in the future.
So far, funds have been put towards subsidising a term of the popular chair yoga program and the purchase of a coffee machine, which has given community members a chance to socialise over a hot drink.
In the near future, a few of the nurses and local community members could receive training in mental health first aid and health and wellbeing coaching to address local mental health needs.
The centre is also working in partnership with Headspace Echuca and Campaspe Shire Council on programs that could address youth mental health.
With the help of the heritage centre and other funding, a community kitchen is also on the horizon, which will act as a meeting place for locals while also helping to feed the community during the cost-of-living crisis.
Ms Gibson said she hoped the grant would encourage the community to work together.
“I am hoping that this will show that these things are possible within a rural community, not to demonstrate that there is a need in rural communities, but that there is a solution through co-design and empowering our community members,” she said.
If a community member has an idea to share or a project they wish to lead that needs funding, contact the Lockington and District Nursing Centre on 5486 2544.