A GIANT, town-wide scavenger hunt has been installed in Ararat in a bid to improve health outcomes.
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The scavenger hunt will be launched on Monday and came out of a challenge set by the Heart Foundation and the federal government's Active Australia Innovation Challenge.
Organisations were invited to submit an idea that would help encourage physical activity, and the winners received $10,000 to turn their idea into reality.
Out of 130 applicants nationwide only eight were successful, including East Grampians Health Service.
At the time Zosha Jarecki-Warke was an exercise physiologist at the health service and when she heard about the challenge said she wanted to submit an idea.
Ms Jarecki-Warke has since left East Grampians Health Service but dietitian Kelsey Weight was working with her and continued working on the project in Ms Jarecki-Warke's absence.
Ms Weight said they received training on how to run the project.
"The Heart Foundation flew us up to Sydney to do this training with CoDesign and we just left with all these ideas about how to get the community involved and make it more what Ararat needs," she said.
"We designed this walking trail and it is a loop, and people who came along Monday are able to get a map, or we will have a location specified where they can pick up the map - and it will start in Alexandra Gardens."
The launch will take place at Pyrenees House on Girdlestone Street at 11am.
"There will be a check point which will be a post in the ground with a written clue on it to solve," Ms Weight said. "From there you can head along to the next check point. Moving onto the next post you'll find another written clue.
"The aim is to get you physically and mentally active. Even if you don't love getting out for a physical activity you can get along and use your brain."
Ms Weight said the trail is dog-friendly and wheelchair-friendly.
"If elderly people are using it it's going to be a lot of flat paths - even if you're in a wheelchair it's going to be quite achievable," she said.
Ararat Men's Shed and Woodies members are making the posts. Part of the funding will also go towards cleaning up the underpass near KFC so it can be part of the trail.
The Department of Justice will clean it up and rail network managers ARTC will fund the rest.
Currently it is filled with graffiti, broken glass and other rubbish.
"It will feel safe," Ms Weight said.
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