Submitted –
B.C. GOVERNMENT CAUCUS
NEWS RELEASE
December 18, 2015
Mission nets a 2016 Age-Friendly Grant
MISSION – The District of Mission is among the 28 B.C. communities that have been awarded 2016 Age-friendly Community Planning and Project grants, to support strategies to help seniors stay mobile, physically active, socially connected and healthy.
With the $18,500 grant, Mission will develop an Active for Life Strategy to support the health and well-being of their aging population. The project will complement Mission’s Sport for Life Strategy with the goal of helping seniors age actively, safely, enjoy good health and stay connected to the community.
“Communities must address the needs of all members,” Abbotsford-Mission MLA Simon Gibson said. “Ensuring our aging population has the supports they need to live an active, healthy life is a noteworthy project.”
“Seniors want to live an active, healthy and engaged life in our communities,” Maple Ridge-Mission MLA Marc Dalton said. “This funding will help develop a program to help them do just that.”
This grant program is a partnership between the Government of British Columbia and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM). Each successful local government receives up to $20,000 to help undertake a variety of activities that address the needs of older residents – from setting public policy to delivering information and services.
For the 2016 grants, communities were encouraged to consider projects that focus on accessibility, elder abuse prevention, dementia and non-medical home support.
Applications were reviewed by a committee from UBCM and the provincial government. To date, age-friendly community planning and project grants have funded 268 projects in 142 local governments in all areas of B.C., totalling $5.25 million.
To learn more about Age-friendly B.C. please visit: www.gov.bc.ca/agefriendly.
-30-
Contact: Ashley Stewart, B.C. Government Caucus Communications, 250-387-8589