MANDURAH resident and nutritionist Kerry Beake wants to make Mandurah more inclusive by advocating the City improves its existing community group organisations.
The 48-year-old Masters of Nutrition and Dietetics student said she had always had an interest in studying the overall health behaviours of people.
According to Ms Beake, Mandurah had an abundance of “blue zones” and mass opportunities to interact with them.
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READ NOW“Blue zones include the ocean and lakes, where people live into old age in relatively good health,” she said.
“There’s so much opportunity to take means to not only protect these spaces but interact with them more as they can help the health and wellbeing of those living in Mandurah.”
Ms Beake started a Facebook page Mandurah is a potential Blue Zone in December to engage with the community and see what people think of her proposal.
She said three issues within the community would be combated if Mandurah were to become a blue zone.
“Loneliness, isolation and a sense of hopelessness would ease as an issue as blue zones create a sense of connection and inclusion amongst community members,” she said.
“Blue zones would build on the likes of the Shape Mandurah initiative on placemaking.
“My Blue zone proposal focus is to help and support existing community groups to function better, reduce the burden of administration, reduce duplication of efforts to be able to maximise their impact in the community and engage others in the community.
“This may include assisting with funding applications, sharing resources, preventing overwhelm and burnout which sees many great volunteer groups fade away.”
Ms Beake said it was a requirement for state councils to improve community health.
“Along with the Facebook page I’ve started putting together a proposal for council. To accompany my needs analysis and community consultation element of my proposal, I feel the page is the way to do that – engaging with the community and discovering if making Mandurah a blue zone is something people want and need,” she said.
Ms Beake said she put her proposal to council last year but it was incomplete at the time.
“I received interest from some councillors but I realised the community consultation part was lacking,” she said.
“I plan to do this over the next six months while I’m on prac and I’m planning to try gather some of that community consolation, community, food and clinical aspect.”
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