Action Plan Initiatives
You ask the community what do you want and need? We all know, it’s been done before and then nothing comes of it. I had a different feeling about this and we’re seeing the results now. There’s action!
Eddie roberts – community member
From Priorities to Action
The Huon Valley Voice for Health Action Plan identified several priority areas for action based on community feedback and co-design activities. As the work progressed, these priorities evolved in response to emerging opportunities, partnerships and community interests. Some action areas merged, new initiatives were developed, and working groups adapted their focus over time to reflect local needs and available resources.
While the names and structure of individual working groups changed throughout the life of the project, each initiative remained connected to the priorities identified by the community through consultation and co-design. Together, these projects contributed to a shared goal of improving health and wellbeing outcomes across the Huon Valley.
Below are details of the 29 initiatives, projects and partnerships that emerged through the work of the Huon Valley Voice for Health.
Action Plan Area
Budget Allocated
Capacity Building
$90,000
Connected Communities
$210,000
Healthy Lifestyles
$100,000
Transport
$150,000
Budget: $210,000
Expenditure: $0
Watch this space – more information to come
This professionally facilitated support group was established to create a welcoming space where neurodivergent adults could connect with others who share similar experiences. The group provides opportunities for discussion, peer support and learning practical strategies for navigating everyday challenges.
Community interest was so strong that the group quickly filled to capacity and developed a waiting list. Participants reported feeling less isolated, gaining valuable knowledge about pathways, supports and resources, and developing stronger connections with peers. Many members have continued building friendships outside the formal sessions, creating an organic and sustainable support network that extends well beyond the life of the project.
Mental Health First Aid training was delivered to community leaders in the Cygnet area. The training increased participants’ confidence and ability to recognise mental health difficulties, respond appropriately and connect people with further support when needed.
It also created an opportunity for local leaders to build relationships with one another and strengthen the community’s collective capacity to respond to distress.
Huon Valley Alphabet Mafia provides a regular, welcoming and inclusive space where LGBTQIA+ young people can connect with peers, access trusted support and take part in activities. Funding helped the group continue its weekly meetings and establish a permanent home at the Huonville PCYC.
The initiative has enabled the group to provide food, games, books and support resources while increasing opportunities for young people to feel connected, represented and included in their community.
The Huon Women’s Wellness Festival brought women and health providers together for a full day of connection, education and celebration. Designed for women across different ages and life stages, the event increased access to health information and showcased primary, allied and complementary health and wellbeing services.
The planning and delivery of the Festival also strengthened collaboration among local women’s health providers and supported a more connected approach to women’s health in the Huon Valley.
The Men’s Table creates a safe, peer-led space where men can come together each month to talk openly about the highs and lows of life. Building on the success of groups already operating in Huonville and Geeveston, community members identified a need for a similar opportunity in Cygnet.
Since its establishment, the Cygnet Men’s Table has become a regular part of community life, with men continuing to meet each month and reporting positive benefits for their wellbeing, relationships and social connections. The impacts extend beyond participants themselves, with improved confidence, connection and emotional wellbeing flowing through to families, friends and workplaces.
Creative Connections is an inclusive weekly arts program that brings together people of different backgrounds and abilities. Led by a qualified community arts worker, the program provides a safe space for creative expression, friendship and social connection.
Participants have developed strong relationships, with some meeting outside the program for social outings and creative activities. The group also held an art exhibition with support from Huon Valley Council.
CAM Connect brought together complementary and alternative health practitioners from across the Huon Valley through networking events, professional development opportunities and collaboration activities. The initiative aimed to strengthen referral pathways, build professional connections and increase awareness of the role complementary therapies can play in supporting health and wellbeing.
More than 120 practitioners and community members participated throughout the project. The initiative has led to stronger relationships between complementary and primary health providers, new collaborations and improved awareness of available services. Outcomes include the formation of the Huon Women’s Health Collective, new education partnerships, podcast collaborations and increased opportunities for referrals between practitioners. Participants have reported that the project has helped make a wider range of health and wellbeing services more accessible to people living in the Huon Valley.
Local Aboriginal artist Reuben Oates created a permanent mural for the entrance of the Huonville PCYC. The artwork has helped make the space more welcoming, increased the visibility and appreciation of Aboriginal culture, and created opportunities for conversations about art, Country and connection.
The mural formed part of a broader renewal of the PCYC entrance and marked the organisation’s 15-year anniversary.
Budget: $90,000
Expenditure: $
Rev It Up brought health and community service providers together to deliver engaging health education to Huon Valley students. Huon Valley Voice for Health supported provider workshops and introduced students to the Wheel of Wellbeing, encouraging them to consider the different things they can do to support their health each day.
The Wheel of Wellbeing component was particularly well received and helped shape the approach used for the following year’s program.
A second round of the program was offered in 2024 and was equally successful.
Community leaders took part in intensive training in the Wheel of Wellbeing, an adaptable framework that supports people to consider their health and wellbeing holistically. The aim was to build local capability so the framework could be shared in different community settings over time.
Several participants went on to become certified practitioners and deliver their own workshops. The framework has also influenced other local activities, including school health promotion.
This initiative supports a long-term Herbalists Without Borders volunteer to undertake practical herbal education. The training covers the growing, harvesting and preparation of herbs and is intended to strengthen the volunteer’s ability to contribute safely and effectively to community herbal health services.
Ten community leaders participated in Collective Flourishing training, which focuses on the conditions that support positive mental and emotional wellbeing. Participants were encouraged to apply the learning in their own lives and use it to strengthen wellbeing within their groups and communities.
Members of the Regional Steering Group and relevant working groups participated in practical governance training, including sessions on understanding finances and taking minutes. The training strengthened members’ skills and supported the development of sound, sustainable governance practices for community-led work.
This initiative supports patrula nayri good fire to provide property preparation and land-care assistance to community members who may be particularly vulnerable to bushfire risk. The work incorporates traditional Aboriginal cool-burning approaches and shares knowledge about caring for Country and managing fire risk.
The initiative aims to build community preparedness, strengthen relationships and increase understanding of sustainable land management.
This workshop helped staff, volunteers and community members develop a better understanding of LGBTQIA+ identities, respectful terminology and allyship. Participants reported increased knowledge and greater confidence in interacting respectfully with LGBTQIA+ people in their work and community activities.
Following the successful pilot, the workshop was identified as an ongoing offering from Far South Pride.
This initiative supported a local community member to undertake facilitator training focused on creating safe and supportive groups for women. The training strengthens local capacity to establish opportunities for women to connect, build resilience and maintain supportive relationships.
It also creates potential for future partnerships with local services and community initiatives.
Specialised training was provided to a community member already supporting LGBTQIA+ young people in the Huon Valley. The courses were designed to strengthen their skills, knowledge and ability to support and advocate alongside young people through their existing community work.
Yoga in a Chair is an affordable and accessible program that enables people to experience the physical, mental and social benefits of yoga regardless of mobility or physical ability. The friendly classes encourage regular movement while creating a welcoming space for social connection.
Ongoing attendance and the arrival of new participants demonstrate the value of maintaining accessible physical activity in the Huon Valley.
Smoother Movers brought supported strength and balance classes to Cygnet, Geeveston and Dover. Designed for older adults and people living with chronic conditions, the program focused on mobility, flexibility, coordination and confidence in everyday activities.
Participants reported improvements in strength, balance and mobility. The classes also created valued social connections, with participants forming friendships and often meeting after sessions.
YOU.FO is a fun and inclusive sports activity introduced through a partnership between Huonville PCYC and Dover District School. It gives young people, including those who may not usually enjoy organised sport, a new way to be active, develop skills and work together.
Interest grew beyond the original program, with other schools requesting opportunities to offer the activity. Equipment held by the PCYC can also be borrowed for wider community use.
A new refrigerator was provided to the Cygnet Uniting Church’s emergency food assistance program following recommendations from the community food co-design process. The fridge enables donated food to remain fresh for longer, reduces waste and increases the amount and variety of food available to community members.
Learn to Nourish is delivering food, nutrition and health literacy seminars across regional communities in the Huon Valley. The seminars respond directly to findings from the earlier food co-design work and are tailored to people experiencing barriers to affordable, nutritious food or accessible health information.
Sessions delivered in Dover and Geeveston were well attended, generating positive feedback and valuable community conversations about nutrition and health.
The Far South Community Beekeeping Program is establishing community beehives in Dover and providing opportunities for local people and school students to learn about bees and beekeeping. The hives will produce honey for the community, with potential income supporting the broader Far South food resilience program.
The initiative aims to strengthen local food knowledge, create opportunities for connection and support future beekeepers and local food production.
More information about this initiative on our ‘Impacts’ page
Community members experiencing food insecurity, together with local food-assistance providers, contributed to a co-design process exploring barriers to nutritious food and better food literacy. Their experiences and ideas were used to develop recommendations for programs that would be relevant, accessible and useful.
This foundational work continues to guide the Food Security and Healthy Eating Working Group. It also led to practical early actions, including the provision of refrigerators to local food-assistance services.
Geeveston Community Grows hosted practical workshops covering the full journey from planting and caring for winter vegetables to harvesting and preparing food. The workshops built food-growing knowledge while bringing together people from different backgrounds to learn and connect.
Additional activities, including a garden launch and community working bees, also increased participation in the community garden.
A display fridge was provided to Huon Anglican’s food-assistance program in Huonville. It helps keep donated food fresh, reduces waste and allows people to see and select available items more easily.
The fridge also makes food distribution more practical for volunteers, allowing them to spend more time supporting other aspects of the service.
Budget: $160,000
Expenditure: $160,000
Background
Watch this space, more information to come!