Initiative to encourage healthier lifestyles

HEALTHY Loddon Campaspe is getting creative in how they encourage people to get out and about for exercise.

Known as Adventure Bingo, it’s a new initiative involving larger than life bingo at six walking trails across the Loddon Campaspe region.

The Bendigo Adventure Bingo walk is situated at the Bendigo Botanic Gardens and Garden of the Future in White Hills.

A 2019 study by what’s now Healthy Loddon Campaspe found the most popular form of activity in the region was walking and the most used public spaces and facilities for exercise were footpaths and parks.

Healthy Loddon Campaspe coordinator Alicia O’Brien said she hopes Adventure Bingo will provide a fun incentive for children and families to become more active.

“Walking is also the most popular form of physical activity in our region, according to statistics from the Active Living Census, and Adventure Bingo plays on this popularity by providing residents with a fun activity to participate in when out on a walk,” said Ms O’Brien.

The census found that 57.3 per cent of Greater Bendigo residents met physical activity guidelines of moderate to vigorous activity for between 75 to 300 minutes per week.

Over half of all residents said they wanted to be more active, particularly females, those aged 18-69, those with higher education, and low-income, and food-insecure households.

Starting from Tuesday, 11 April, residents can fill out bingo cards online to go into the draw to win $20 sports shop gift cards.

There will be five draws each week until Friday, 5 May.

Bingo cards can be downloaded at bendigo.vic.gov.au/adventurebingo, or hard copies can be picked up at the Bendigo Library.

Other Adventure Bingo locations are Gunbower, Dunolly, Boort, Romsey, and Maldon.