Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation has provided a grant to IPC Health to conduct a CroakeyGo heatwave-health event in Sunshine in Melbourne’s west as part of its Hot Spots Initiative.

With the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, Hot Spots provides funding to health and community organisations to proactively support their communities during extreme heat events.

As part of the development of Hot Spots, the Foundation used the Monash Heat Vulnerability Index, to identify key areas in Melbourne with higher temperatures during heatwaves along with higher levels of socio-economic disadvantage. Sunshine and Dandenong were identified as fitting the Hot Spots criteria. The Foundation invited applications for funding from not-for-profit, community health organisations working in these suburbs.

The Foundation’s Senior Program Manager for Healthy & Resilient Communities Harriet McCallum said that Hot Spots supports collaborations led by community health and social service organisations working with local government and emergency services to build community awareness and support local actions that mitigate the health impacts of heatwaves with a focus on those most at risk.

“IPC Health in Sunshine are bringing the community together on a walking and talking tour with the support from the team at Croakey Health Media”.

“Representatives from local government, business and the community will come together and learn about heat-related health issues for vulnerable people in Sunshine and raise awareness about the health impacts of heatwaves on communities.”

CroakeyGo #HeatwaveHealth event will take place on Wednesday 11 December from 9:30am. To learn more about CroakeyGo and to participate, contact Croakey Health Media.