Achilles Melbourne made the trek to Werribee Gorge earlier this month, giving participants opportunities they normally wouldn’t get.
The group received funding through the Bupa Foundation Community Grant program to fund their regional hiking program.
The aim of the Achilles hiking program is to enhance participation in regular physical running-walking-based activities, provide access to regional areas of Victoria, that are not easily accessible to people with a disability, and ultimately improve their mental and physical health.
As Melbourne’s premier running club for people with a disability, Achilles Melbourne coordinated a trip to Werribee Gorge with a group of 16 vision impaired members and volunteer guides.
Bupa’s Natalie Blair, who is also a volunteer guide with Achilles Melbourne, said the trail was technical and involved a high level of verbal cues for the guides, but it was a fabulous day out for all involved.
The trip to Werribee Gorge was one of four excursions to Victorian regional areas made for Achilles Melbourne made possible by the Bupa program which has been running since 2019 and invested more than $260,000 to community organisation across Australia and New Zealand in the last year to help support improved mental health and environmental sustainability.
Bupa Asia Pacific chief sustainability and corporate affairs officer Roger Sharp said grass-roots organisations play a unique and important role in supporting people and their communities with their mental and physical health and achieving better environmental outcomes.
“Encouraging Bupa’s people to be active in the community is vital in delivering the Foundation’s mission to unite our people, customers and the community in creating a healthier world.”
