Winter Wellbeing Expo at public housing high-rise helps residents get active

The temperature may be dropping, but public housing residents at three high-rises in the north and west are getting active during June with a two-week Winter Wellbeing Expo coordinated by cohealth’s High Risk Accommodation Response (HRAR) team. 

The Expo is running from 6-19 June for public housing residents from the Williamstown, North Melbourne and Flemington high rise who can try their hand at Tai Chi, women’s boxing, pottery classes, dancing workshops, and Zen baby calming sessions. The Expo also includes capacity-building activities such as Small Business Advice sessions and journaling workshops.  

“When winter arrives, our natural inclination is to go into hibernation, but it’s more important than ever that we stay active and connected with the community,” said Claire Borlase, LGA West HRAR Lead – COVID 19 Response Program. 

“The cohealth Winter Wellbeing Expo delivers activities for a community that is still on recovering from the social and emotional impacts of COVID. 

“We designed a program of free activities over two weeks that help residents look after themselves and their families. It’s also been a chance to involve external organisations such as NEAMI and Project Sunrise who are offering activities as part of the Expo. ” 

“This is the first winter since 2019 that the high-rise community has been able to freely gather and connect, so this is an exciting 

cohealth’s High Risk Accommodation Response program has been supporting people throughout the pandemic who are living in public housing and other high-risk accommodation to access health information and vaccinations and participate in community strengthening projects that promote recovery post-COVID. The HRAR program funding ends on 30 June 2022. 

“The Winter Wellbeing Expo is high note for the HRAR team to be finishing on,” said Claire. 

“This community strengthening and health promotion event represents everything that cohealth and HRAR stands for,” she said.  

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 More information:  Lanie.Harris@cohealth.org.au or 0418 552 377   

About cohealth: cohealth is a not-for-profit community health organisation that provides low-cost and free local health and support services including medical, dental, allied health, mental health, aged care and counselling, and many specialist health services across Melbourne’s CBD, northern and western suburbs as well as statewide.