Healthy George Town launched with aim to boost community health

Monday, 7 October 2019

A new program years in the making will see the George Town community undergo a healthy transformation.

Healthy George Town was launched on Thursday, and will deliver a range of healthy lifestyle programs to the municipality for at least the next 12 months.

George Town Council mayor Greg Kieser said the program would have immediate benefits for the community.

"The part that I like the most is that it just represents such a wonderful cross-section of our society," he said.

"It doesn't matter whether you're young, old, active, sedentary. There's practically something in it for everybody."

Council community development officer and Healthy George Town project manager Rhonda O'Sign said the program wasn't about running marathons, but creating opportunities for people to get active and increase their wellness in ways that work for them.

The council worked with Healthy Tasmania to develop the project, which will work to create healthy behaviours in the community through an evidence-based approach.

Activities on offer will include dancing, yoga, paddleboarding, with other activities to cater specifically seniors, teenagers and young adults, and parents and children.

Program providers include YMCA, Mindfulness Australia, Reclink, Sherriff Health and Fitness, George Town Neighbourhood House, Bass Coastal Physiotherapy, and Council of the Ageing.

Launceston YMCA chief executive Jodie Johnson said implementation of the program was exciting, especially as the YMCA had recently returned to the town after a 35-year absence.

"It's about the whole community and benefits to everybody, from babies right through to grandparents," she said. "It's not going to be programs that are one-day-wonders, they're going to be here to stay."

Sherriff Health and Fitness' Kylie Moore said she was excited to help people turn their lives around.

"I used to be morbidly obese, pre-diabetic. Four years ago I had nowhere to go, I couldn't afford any fitness classes. I made a few changes to my diet and to my fitness and lifestyle, and it's led us to here," she said.

"Our goal really is to help everybody the way it's helped us."

Bass Liberal MHR Bridget Archer was excited about the launch, having been involved from the beginning.

She said it was one of her proudest days in public life to see Healthy George Town up and running.

For more information and to get involved with the program, visit georgetown.tas.gov.au/healthy-georgetown.

This article first appeared in The Examiner newspaper here