Boreham Park and Schuhkraft Hub Receive National Recognition For Obesity Prevention

Upgrades to Boreham Park and Schuhkraft Hub, undertaken as part of the Active By Community Design (ABCD) project, have been recognised on a national stage.  The project was recognised for its efforts to prevent obesity within the community, winning the national Obesity Prevention Implementation & Evaluation Award and finishing runner-up to the national Obesity Prevention Excellence Award presented by the Collaboration of Community-based Obesity Prevention Sites (CO-OPS).

Health and Regulatory Services portfolio spokesperson Cr Wayne Honor said the project, which was a collaboration between Council, Wide Bay Medicare Local and a number of community organisations, had seen an increase in park use.

The outcome of the ABCD project for our community has been truly outstanding so to see it receive national recognition is very rewarding, Cr Honor said. The initiative has not only seen park leisure use skyrocket, but the number of people using these areas for physical activity has also significantly increased.

Figures obtained approximately three months after the opening of the parks showed use had increased at Boreham Park from 170 people a week to 562 and at Schuhkraft Hub the numbers had increased from two people a week to 231 as a result of the upgrades.

The Council would like to acknowledge that this project was made possible due to the involvement of key local organisations including Wide Bay Medicare Local, Impact Make Your Mark, Queensland Police Service, Australian Sports Commission, CQUniversity Australia and Bargara Progress Association.

Mr. Shane Dawson, Chief Executive Officer of Wide Bay Medicare Local said that one of the keys to the success of the project was the engagement of the local Bundaberg community who played a role in redesigning the parks.  The park designs were influenced by the needs and opinions of the local resident creating a sense of connection and ownership around the spaces.

To win a coveted CO-OPS Obesity Prevention Award, an initiative must show application of best practice principles, namely community engagement; program design and planning; evaluation; implementation and sustainability; and governance and transparency.  Director of CO-OPS, Dr Penny Love said that applying the existing evidence and following best practice principles enhances the potential impact and sustainability of community-based obesity prevention initiatives.

ABCD is an innovative initiative that made use of existing infrastructure to increase physical activity levels, Dr Love said.  It certainly had a positive impact on the Bundaberg community. The project demonstrated leadership and evidence-based approaches to obesity prevention and had a strong evaluation component in place to maximise project success.

The Collaboration of Community-based Obesity Prevention sites (CO-OPS Collaboration) is an initiative managed by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention and Related Research at Deakin University and works in partnership with the University of Sydney and University of Melbourne in delivering its project outcomes.

Well done to all involved.  For more information on Boreham Park have a look at our review HERE

Boreham Park and Schuhkraft Hub Receive National Recognition For Obesity Prevention