New grant sparks support hub for Type 1 community

GEELONG’S Type 1 Foundation is one of the inaugural recipients of a new Latrobe Health Services Foundation grant.

The Latrobe Health Services Foundation is working to improve the health outcomes in rural and regional communities, with grants funding programs delivering a long-term and meaningful impact.

In the first round of grants, the Type 1 Foundation received funding for its “Thrive at the Hive” project, a dedicated space for people living with the disease and their carers.

Type 1 Foundation creative director Tilly Edwards said the grant will be used to help set up event spaces within the Moorabool Street building.

“We’ll be looking at getting some sound systems, some screens happening, some physical things like chairs, tables, supplies.

“These grants are absolutely essential to the Type 1 Foundation. We receive no government funding, so everything that we do comes from charitable events, from partnerships, from grants.”

The aim of the foundation’s program is to fill the existing gaps in the emotional support and practical education available for the type 1 community.

Thrive at the Hive will be an ongoing project for the foundation, with some smaller events already taking place within the limited space.

Using funding from the grant, within the next six months, the organisation will be able to start introducing some bigger events and create a professional and comfortable setup for visitors.

Ms Edwards thanked the Latrobe Health Services Foundation for its support.

“The foundation are really appreciative and we would like to thank Latrobe Health for the grant and we’re really excited to be awarded this.”

Other recipients for the inaugural grant included projects for seniors needing health checks, access to speech pathology and occupational therapy, suicide alertness training and maintenance and spare parts for a lifesaving defibrillator.