08 Aug 2018 Benalla Ensign, Benalla VIC (General News) Benalla P-12 College, Broken Creek Primary and Winton Primary students will have help to become more physically active under the Victorian Governments Active Kids Initiative. State Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes recently announced 26 northern Victoria schools are among 300 across Australia to share in more than $1 million. Funding will be provided to disadvantaged primary, secondary and specialist schools to support them in overcoming cost barriers to having their students participate in interschool sports. This will ensure help is provided to students who need it the most. The initiative will help schools pay for costs such as equipment, uniforms, transport, entry fees, coaching, venue hire and coverage of relief teachers. We know that the cost of interschool sports can be a barrier for students participating in sports, which is why were helping northern Victoria schools cover those costs, Ms Symes said. This funding will help our country schools pay for things such as equipment, uniforms and transport so those costs arent a barrier for students participating in interschool sports. Happy, healthy students are better students and interschool sports are a great way to engage children in physical activity. The Active Kids initiative, announced as part of the 2018-19 Victorian budget, aims to encourage more students to reap the benefits of participating in sport and physical activity. Ms Symes said the initiative was part of the Victorian Governments drive to meet the Education State target of increasing the proportion of students taking part in physical activity five times a week. By encouraging students to be more active, we can increase the proportion of kids staying active and make students happier, healthier and more resilient, she said.