Applications are now open for Move Your Body grants of up to $5,000 (plus GST) for the delivery of community-based falls prevention projects in Western Australia throughout September to November 2025.
Applications for Move Your Body grants close 5pm Friday 30 May 2025.
What is the Move Your Body campaign?
Move Your Body is one part of the Move Improve Remove messaging that encourages older adults to stay active, independent, and prevent falls.
Move Your Body aims to educate older adults and health and community workers on important information about building strength and balance to prevent falls and promote healthy ageing.
Key messages
- Improving your strength and balance are some of the best ways to reduce your risk of having a fall.
- Good balance and strength are important for healthy ageing.
- Strong legs and good balance are needed to do your everyday activities.
- Falls are preventable.
Calls to action
- Do strength and balance exercises every other day to reduce your risk of having a fall.
- Make exercises more challenging as your balance improves.
- Do strength exercises you can adapt to make harder as you get stronger.
- Choose activities you enjoy to build your balance and strengthen your legs.
- Speak to a health or fitness professional about strength and balance exercises that are right for you.
During your grant application process, it is essential to consider how your program will address at least one of the Move Your Body modifiable risk factors (balance and/or strength); grant programs should be designed with these in mind.
Complete the online form below and download your Move Your Body Grant Application today!
What are the evidence-based strength and balance activities for falls prevention?
Please note: Only evidence-based or proven strategies for reducing falls in older adults will be considered for Move Your Body grant funding.
Balance
Balance exercises such as standing on one leg, stepping over objects, and walking heel to toe may be all that’s required to improve balance among some older adults. However, there are exercise programs available designed to increase an individual’s balance and reduce the risk of falls in older adults. This includes Tai Chi (please note: Evidence has shown Yang-style Tai Chi to be more effective in reducing the frequency of falls than Sun-style Tai Chi), the Lifestyle integrated Functional Exercise (LiFE) Program, the Otago Exercise Program, and the Strength for Life Program.
Strength
Strength training, also referred to as resistance training, is exercise that causes muscles to work or hold against an applied force or weight. This may include progressive resistance training, or training that becomes more challenging over time, such as lifting weights or using gym equipment. Weight bearing activities that use the majority of muscles groups and incorporate progressive weight training (both for exercises and intensity) are recommended for older adults. Weight-bearing exercises, or exercises performed on the feet, include gardening, tennis and dancing.
Other recreational activities that build strength and balance in older adults include Lawn Bowls, Golf, Swimming, Ballroom Dancing, and Tennis.
What about Yoga and Pilates?
While Injury Matters recognises the physical and healthy ageing benefits of exercises such as Yoga and Pilates, these are unfortunately not yet supported by evidence as falls prevention exercises. As such, Injury Matters will not be accepting applications for Yoga or Pilates-based programs at this stage.
What are we looking for in applications?
- Proven strategies for reducing falls in older adults. If you are unsure of what may or may not be funded, you are encouraged to reach out to Injury Matters via (08) 6166 7688 or at grants@injurymatters.org.au for further guidance.
- Grants which focus on the Stay On Your Feet® Move Your Body key messages and calls to action.
- Collaboration among organisations and community groups.
- Sustainability; programs that could be extended past the grant-funding period without additional Stay On Your Feet® funding.
- Programs focused on diverse populations including people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, or groups located regionally or remotely.
- Applications that fill a gap within your community.
Are you unsure if you qualify for a grant? Check out our grant eligibility and criteria for more information about who can and cannot apply for a grant as well as what cannot be funded.
Grant coaching and support
The capacity building nature of the Move Improve Remove grants program allows Injury Matters to support groups and build skills among applicants through grant coaching. Coaching may include assessing need, planning, and delivery of a project, or evaluation to increase project sustainability.
If you would like to receive coaching or support for our next round of Stay On Your Feet® grant applications, please complete an online Request form for grant coaching or support or contact us on (08) 6166 7688 or at grants@injurymatters.org.au.
Tools for planning and evaluating your falls prevention grant program
Injury Prevention 101 eLearning module
The Injury Prevention 101 eLearning module provides an introduction to planning, implementing, and evaluating injury prevention activities and strategies in your community. If you’re new to program development, this module is a great guide to complete before starting your grant application.
When planning and implementing your grant program, you will need to use a range of promotional methods to engage with the community. Learn about the different types of promotional tools you can incorporate into your program, ideas for local media coverage, and tips for writing engaging content.
Grant program sustainability is the ability for your program to continue past the end of the grant period without further Stay On Your Feet® funding. Learn about the importance of grant program sustainability and tips to make your grant program more sustainable.
Evaluation is an essential part of planning and implementing your grant program. Learn about the different types of evaluation you should be incorporating into your grant application, evaluation tools you can use, and what to do with your evaluation findings.
Successful grant applications must
- Seek approval for any use of Injury Matters or Stay On Your Feet® branding. Information regarding how to acknowledge Injury Matters and/or Stay On Your Feet® will be provided to successful applicants.
- Submit a Grant Variation Request (to be provided upon request) and receive approval for any changes to the grants program activities or budget after your grant being awarded.
- Provide relevant professional qualifications and accreditations to Injury Matters upon request.
- Provide certificates of relevant insurances such as Public Liability, Workers’ Compensation, Professional Indemnity, and Commercial Vehicle Insurance upon request.
- Work with Injury Matters to promote the grants program (this may include supplying photographs with appropriate consent, quotes, and contributing to the development of media releases).
- Allow a representative from Injury Matters to attend funded events.
- Acquit your grant and provide evaluation data of your project to Injury Matters.
- Hold responsibility for obtaining your own financial advice should you wish to in regards to your organisation receiving grant funding.
