What is Pitch Night?

Murrumbidgee Pitch Night is an initiative where community-drive and locally-based organisations, including not-for-profits, can pitch their innovative ideas for addressing health needs of their local communities in an effort to secure funding for their idea. On Pitch Night, three initiatives will be pitched to a crowd or around 100 people. Once all three six-minute pitches are heard, the crowd will pledge funding to one or more initiatives of their choice. The benefit for those pitching is to gain exposure of their ideas, community support and funding to move their initiative forward.

The aim is to provide one-off grant funding, which is provided by MPHN, to establish innovative projects to meet the needs of the proposed community and potentially act as a catalyst for implementation in other communities.

2022 Pitch Night Finalists

Meet our 2022 Murrumbidgee Pitch Night finalists.

The Root Cause – Children’s Health Program

The Root Cause is a national health transformation social enterprise helping children thrive, improve their learning, behaviour and resilience, by partnering with schools and parents, providing them with ongoing mentoring and resources to help them empower children to make better food and sleep choices.

The funding will provide schools access to our innovative and interactive 12-month Children’s Health Program (CHP) – a whole school nutrition education program for primary schools, covering every student, family and staff member. The 12-month partnership empowers whole school communities to build a positive and lifelong relationship with food and sleep, which underpins health, behaviour and academic performance.

Telecare - Empower

Telecare is one of Australia leading virtual telehealth clinics. Co-designed by patients, a general practitioner and medical specialist, this collaborative model of care utilises telehealth consultations to facilitate and improve access to specialists and other allied health services for rural communities and aged care facilities.

Funding will provide access for 120 people living across the Murrumbidgee region to Telecare’s ‘Empower’ program. This 12-week interactive virtual program will educate and empower adults living with obesity (BMI > 30) to make healthy and holistic nutritional choices, including healthy intuitive eating; and also aims to foster a better relationship with the body and food.

headspace Wagga Wagga – Vibing for Vitality

headspace Wagga Wagga provides free support for young people aged 12 to 25 years with their mental health, physical health, drug and alcohol and work and study choices. headspace Wagga Wagga also provide outreach to Cootamundra, Tumut and Temora.

This funding will assist in the establishment of an exciting podcast project proposed by the headspace Wagga Wagga youth reference group (YRG). The ‘Vibing for Vitality’ podcast will focus on topics relating to mental health literacy and civic engagement, and will be designed, produced and edited by the headspace Wagga Wagga YRG. It is expected the podcast will enhance youth perspectives and engagement with conversations about mental health and wellbeing.