Not for profit community groups and registered charitable organisations across Greater Geelong are being urged to apply for positive ageing grants with the closing date for submissions fast approaching.

The City has made grants of up to $1,000 available to support a variety of community hosted activities and experiences such as workshops, dances, concerts, sporting activities and tours that celebrate our ageing community.

The Positive Ageing Grants are a part of the City’s ongoing support and promotion of the state-wide Victorian Seniors Festival; however, applications will close on Monday 22 May at 5:00pm. 

Organisations can apply for a grant to run activities that:

• increase physical activity
• promote mental health and wellbeing
• increase social connections
• recognise and celebrate achievements
• support positive ageing and
• provide opportunity for intergenerational activity.

Activities should be designed to promote opportunities in the community for people aged 55+ to develop networks, explore new interests, access useful information, and promote health and well-being opportunities.

The positive ageing activities program will be posted on our website.

For more information about Positive Ageing grants, please email  [email protected], phone 03 5272 5560 or visit our grants page.

Mayor Trent Sullivan

I urge residents to act before time runs out.

We all understand the importance of social connection, particularly as we age and many people gradually move away from full-time employment.

Grants of this nature allow organisations to run activities that assist residents in staying connected and remaining resilient, which ultimately benefits mental health and wellbeing within the broader community.

Councillor Anthony Aitken - Chair of the Inclusion and Care portfolio 

I support Mayor Sullivan in encouraging groups to apply for their share of the $24,000 grant pool.

In 2016, people aged 55 years and over comprised approximately 30 percent of the population of Greater Geelong.

The number of people aged 55 and over is expected to increase by 67 percent between 2016 and 2041, from approximately 72,000 to 120,000.

It’s vitally important that groups continue to provide activities that benefit this growing demographic, and we hope the grant program goes some way to supporting the activities and programs that organisations are thinking about or planning.