QIC has partnered with Nutrition Australia and YMCA to deliver a Community Investment Program focused on the flagship theme of physical health and wellbeing, the Wellness Hub, which will deliver a curated in-Centre health and wellness activation with the aim of encouraging customers to make more informed choices about their overall health and wellbeing.
As part of the initial pilot program, the Wellness Hub will be hosted at seven QIC centres between September and October across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.
The Wellness Hub officially launched at Castle Towers, followed by Big Top Shopping Centre, Robina Town Centre, Forest Lake Shopping Centre, Watergardens, Pacific Epping and Eastland. The Wellness Hub will also be popping up at 54 Mary Street, a QIC-owned commercial office building located in Brisbane’s CBD.
The experiences on offer at each Centre’s Wellness Hub activation will vary, but each will feature a combination of live cooking demonstrations and healthy shopping tours hosted by Nutrition Australia, and relaxation yoga classes and mindfulness workshops facilitated by YMCA.
The Wellness Hub will also provide the opportunity for customers to sign up to the YMCA’s online health and wellbeing platform, the Virtual Y, to access online fitness classes, health information and nutrition advice.
At the heart of the activation will be the Healthy Hub, where customers can drop in and speak to a nutritionist and personal trainer, receive a free personalised evaluation of their body composition using a body scanner, and work to create their own fresh fruit creation with a smoothie bike.
QIC’s General Manager, Sustainability – Real Estate, Melissa Schulz, said QIC hopes the Wellness Hub will have a significant and measurable impact on the physical health and wellbeing of local communities.
“Sixty per cent of QIC’s centres are located in areas with a relatively less active population than the national average, and there is an increasing interest in health and wellness among office occupants and the public in general,” Schulz said.
“The Wellness Hub is more than just an awareness campaign; through this partnership with YMCA and Nutrition Australia, we have the opportunity to deliver programs that make a real difference to the lives of those who visit our centres.”
The Wellness Hub will feature live cooking demonstrations and healthy shopping tours hosted by Nutrition Australia
Ian Boorman, Executive Manager of Impact & Strategic Partnerships at the YMCA, said he was excited by the opportunities presented through the partnership with YMCA and QIC.
“The YMCA (or the Y) is one of Australia’s major providers of health and wellness services, and we’re excited to work with Nutrition Australia and QIC to reach more people in their communities,” Boorman said.
“Physical health and wellbeing is a key part of improving mental health and creating happier and healthier communities.”
Lucinda Hancock, Chief Executive Officer of Nutrition Australia Vic Division, agreed with this sentiment and said she hoped that this unique partnership would improve the physical wellbeing of those in the local community.
“Nutrition Australia is thrilled to be partnering with the YMCA and QIC to support the local community to improve their physical health and wellbeing,” Hancock said.
“The last couple of years have been a challenging time for us all, and with healthy eating remaining the most significant challenge as the nation continues to navigate COVID-19 and the rising cost of living, we need more innovative community partnerships like this to help all Australians live their healthiest lives.”
