Bulgarr Ngaru (Grafton) has won a Youth and Wellbeing grant to conduct its Bulgarr Boot Camp program.

The program was one of 10 announced by the Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD), which encompass a wide variety of projects; from youth food gardens and cookbooks, to fitness challenges, mountain bike training, and girls’ skateboarding sessions.

The grants of up to $4,000 each are funded by NNSWLHD as part of its Healthy Communities Northern Rivers initiative, a whole of community approach to making it easier for people to lead active healthy lives.

Health promotion manager at NNSWLHD, Jillian Adams, said one of the key criteria for the grants was that young people were involved in the planning of the projects.

“It’s important that these projects to get young people active and eating healthy food come from a youth perspective, because young people know best what will work for them,” Ms Adams said.

“We invited Dr Kate Neale from the Centre for Children and Young People at Southern Cross University to be on the grant assessment panel, because of her expertise in youth engagement.”

Other criteria for the grants included value for money, sustainability, innovation, planning and evaluation, and addressing social disadvantage.

The projects focus on healthy eating or physical activity, or both, and are for young people aged 13 to 24 years.

The Bulgarr Boot Camp program entails weekly personal trainer boot camp sessions to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, build strength and increase physical activity in young people and their families.

The project will also include health education sessions and workshops.