The Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) has commended the Victorian Government for its continuing commitment to fund grants for culturally and linguistically diverse seniors.

The government will deliver $310,000 in grants to help culturally diverse seniors who are isolated at home to participate more fully in community life.

Fifty-nine grants from the latest round of the Participation for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Seniors Grants Program were awarded.

The program is delivered in partnership with ECCV.

ECCV Chairperson, Eddie Micallef, said the seniors grants program was an extremely important initiative.

“The ECCV welcomes the Victorian Government’s commitment to $310,000 in grants to help culturally and linguistically diverse seniors who may be facing loneliness or isolation at home to participate more fully in community life,” Mr Micallef said.

“For a variety of complex reasons, seniors from CALD backgrounds can become isolated from their community – this can particularly be the case when they are no longer working – and these grants have the potential to re-engage them with new or established networks.”

Over four years, the program has funded more than 200 community-based projects, supporting more than 3000 seniors from CALD backgrounds to connect to new or existing social networks and activities.

The grants help multicultural organisations and local councils to run events, activities and outings, as well as arranging the transport isolated seniors need to get out and about and meet new people. This year’s grants are supporting seniors from 31 different ethnicities.

Projects funded include the formation of new community and social groups, classes to bridge the digital divide and help seniors connect online, exercise and fitness programs, arts and craft programs, health information sessions, group excursions and day trips and cultural celebrations.

Many recipients are developing projects to address transport barriers, such as volunteer car and bus drivers, car-pooling and information sessions on using public transport.