Family Food Patch

Burnie

Families Tasmania

Family Food Patch (FFP) Program

CAPITOL SHOWCASE

Innovation in Action

Showcasing excellent community-based health and wellbeing initiatives

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Why was this program needed?

• Many Burnie residents face challenges associated with socioeconomic disadvantage, including impacts from social determinants of health.

• Reduced access to good nutrition, physical activity and social inclusion may contribute to a range of conditions, including overweight and obesity.

• However, local programs focused on community strengths provide great opportunities for improved health and wellbeing.

• The FFP program, part of Families Tasmania, provides evidencebased support to families across the state, including Burnie.

• The program commenced based on a need to provide greater skills to families around children’s nutrition and physical activity.

The Family Food Patch Program utilises a peer education model to empower community members to communicate knowledge on nutrition and physical activity to other members, leading to better health and wellbeing.

• The program aims to improve health and wellbeing of children and families through eating well and being active, particularly in lower socioeconomic areas in regional and rural locations.

FFP Program goals and activities

Positive outcomes for the Burnie community

• The main goal is to build capacity with volunteer family food educators (FFEs) which builds further capacity in the community.

• In operation since 2001, the program has trained many participants to be more actively engaged in the community.

• The program uses a peer education model to communicate knowledge on nutrition and physical activity.

• Partnerships are developed with organisations including School Food Matters (formerly Tasmanian School Canteen Association), Move Well Eat Well, Eat Well Tasmania, Neighbourhood Houses, and Child and Family Centres.

• Extensive training and resources are provided to participants to help promote healthy eating and physical activity.

• Volunteer FFEs are usually parents or carers, and training is very practical and ‘hands on’.

• Training is often conducted at Child and Family Centres, with kitchen space to facilitate learning.

• Training and resources are used as a guide with participants choosing how to further promote nutrition and physical activity.

• For example, FFEs may promote better health through workshops, community activities and school canteen participation.

Further information: https://utas.edu.au/health/community-programs/capitol https://www.familiestasmania.org.au/services/family-food-patch/

• FFEs from lower socio-economic areas are trained in healthy eating and physical activity behaviours.

• The peer education model leads to greater numbers of community members understanding the benefits of healthy eating and physical activity.

• This increased knowledge and understanding contributes to improved health and wellbeing of children and families across the Burnie community.

CAPITOL (Critical Age Periods Impacting the Trajectory of Obesogenic Lifestyles) is a community-based and community-driven project which aims to build capacity in North-West Tasmania to more effectively prevent obesity. This content has been produced in collaboration with Families Tasmania staff.