The Burton Community Learning Centre has received a $10,450 grant from the Columbia Basin Trust to keep running the Just for the Health of It program.
Just for the Health of It is a drop-in program for older adults to take part in both physical and mental exercises with other people.
Participants do an hour of physical exercise followed by 30 minutes of brain exercises, explained Dan Freeman, a board member with the centre.
The program has taken off since it was launched in Burton last year and it is now being offered at the seniors centre in Nakusp, he said.
“It’s very popular. The first time we ran, they had what we figure was the maximum number of people we can do.”
The CBT grant will allow the program to continue for another year, said Freeman. It covers the costs to rent the space and pay instructors.
“It’s become an ongoing thing, everybody looks forward to it, so now we’ve got the funding to cover it for a year.”
The grant is one of 32 projects that have been selected to receive more than $1 million in funding from the trust. It is the only project in the Arrow Lakes area to receive funding.
“Our selection committee approved a diverse range of projects from a strong showing of applications during our annual intake,” said Sabrina Curtis, Director, Sector Initiatives. “These projects will continue to build and strengthen the social sector in our region.”