KEEPING MULTICULTURAL SENIORS ACTIVE IN YUROKE

Victorian seniors in Yuroke will be further encouraged to get involved and stay active in their communities thanks to grants from the Andrews Labor Government.

The Oorja Foundation will receive $5,000 to provide weekly sessions introducing seniors to support agencies, involving them in community projects and providing language support.

The Brotherhood of St Laurence will receive $4,000 to give isolated seniors the opportunity to meet regularly, develop basic English skills and give them the relevant knowledge to participate in the local community.

The Culturally And Linguistically Diverse (CALD) seniors grants, with 54 grants worth $304,000, have been awarded to local community and multicultural organisations across the state to support people at risk of isolation.

There are grants of up to $5000 for single organisations to run an initiative, or up to $10,000 for more complex projects that may involve several organisations.

The one-year grants are going to organisations representing 50 different cultural groups across the state, ranging from the Cook Islands to India, Serbia and the Horn of Africa.

The funded organisations will be supported by the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria to get their projects up and running.