Focus on good health

By Emma Sun
EASTERN Health’s new Health Promotion Team, Michelle Fleming and Julia Blackburn, will be working to improve overall health and well-being in the community.
The pair bring a wealth of experience to the team and will be based at Yarra Valley Community Health.
Ms Blackburn’s main focus is on family violence, particularly on strategies to prevent family violence within the community.
“We try to concentrate on the preventative end of the continuum instead of the responsive end,” Ms Blackburn said.
“We will be approaching family violence with strategies at different levels, through policy, working with schools, working with sporting clubs; a different range of strategies.”
Ms Blackburn said family violence had a huge impact on women’s health and the health and well-being of families.
She will be promoting respectful relationships in the community through awareness by working with a number of people and organisations to do key preventative work.
Ms Fleming will be focusing on improving the community’s access to healthy foods and will be heavily involved in facilitating projects such as the Healesville Community Gardens.
“It’s becoming a focus because people are realising it makes sense to take control of their health and greater mental health means better economic participation,” she said.
“We want greater community awareness about the importance of health and well-being and healthy eating.”
Ms Fleming, who studied health promotion in the past, will initially tackle the issue of food insecurity, with the focus on access to healthy food.
“What we’re seeing in the Yarra Valley community is that 70% of people don’t have access or struggle to access healthy food, whether it be they can’t afford healthy food or can’t pay for the transport to give them access or a health disability,” she said.
They will be raising awareness and developing the community through the Healesville Community Gardens and community kitchen initiatives, which encourages people to grow and cook their own food.
People can also benefit from the social aspects of each by getting together and learning skills in a group.
Ms Fleming and Ms Blackburn welcome anyone with new ideas to have a chat with them. They can be contacted through Yarra Valley Community Health on 1300 130 381.