Healthy business heroes recognised at Active Workplace Awards

THE Geelong business community gathered on Wednesday last week to celebrate local organisations making a positive difference to the health of their employees.

This year’s Active Workplace Awards were presented as part of the 2024 Active Workplace Business Breakfast, held by not-for-profit health promotion charity Active Geelong at the Captains’ Room at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong.

The awards are based on the Victorian government’s Healthy Workplaces Achievement Program, which helps businesses create an environment that promotes health and healthy behaviours.

The winners were:

• Gold Award for Active Workplace of the Year 2024 – WorkSafe Victoria
• Silver Award for Active Culture – Leisure Networks
• Silver Award for Active Physical Environment – WorkSafe Victoria
• Silver Award for Active Opportunities – Kieser Australia, Geelong, Torquay & Ocean Grove
• Silver Award for Active Community Connections – Read The Play Inc, and
• Silver Award for Active Primary Health/GP Clinic of the Year – Kunatjarra Medical Clinic.

Active Geelong says each of these organisations have implemented a range of initiatives to promote physical activity, building an environment and culture that encourages movement and reduces sedentary behaviour in the workplace.

Ambassador for Active Geelong and event MC Peter Murrihy said Active Geelong had the “ambitious goal to make the Geelong region Australia’s most active”.

The headline speaker at the Active Workplace Business Breakfast was Grant McCabe, managing partner for the Boston Consulting Group in Australia and New Zealand and president-elect for the Geelong Football Club.

In conversation with Active Geelong chair Dr Hugh Seward, Mr McCabe spoke about the value of active and healthy workplaces, and also shared some insights about the culture at the Cats and the club’s hopes for 2025.

Active Geelong also launched its new online business self-audit tool to assist local businesses in the creation of their own workplace activity initiatives.

For more information, head to activegeelong.org.au