Healthy Harold loses Federal Government funding

NEWS of Healthy Harold’s potential demise has been met with sadness with many sharing memories of the giraffe and lessons in “dark vans”.

A GENERATION of Australian schoolkids may never learn about the dangers of drug taking or eating unhealthy food — delivered by a puppet giraffe — after federal funding was withdrawn from the Healthy Harold program.

The program was delivered by health and drug education organisation Life Education Australia, which will have to revise its programs due to the funding cut. While Healthy Harold may continue there are concerns many kids could miss out in the future.

The Turnbull Government’s funding agreement ends on July 1 and Life Education’s funding application for $1.5 million over the next three years was rejected, according to Buzzfeed.

Healthy Harold was a feature in the lives of many Australian schoolchildren, with the program targeted at schoolchildren aged five to 13 years. It aims to help them make safer and healthier choices, by educating them about subjects like nutrition, cybersafety, and drugs.

We support #HealthyHarold & will work with Life Education Australia to ensure the funding & the program continues

— Simon Birmingham (@Birmo) May 30, 2017

News of Healthy Harold’s potential demise was met with sadness from those who remember the giraffe from their childhood days, and memories have flowed of lessons conducted in Life Education’s dark mobile vans.

It’s little wonder as Life Education began more than 35 years ago, and today its 100 mobile learning centres reach 640,000 children across Australia.

Penrith Panthers player Tim Browne with Healthy Harold.

@csimps0n @workmanalice Healthy Harold taught me all I know today 😭

— Dame Rhiannon Pickup (@RhiannonAlexis) May 30, 2017

Not Healthy Harold. Of all things to cut funding from. I have so many childhood memories learning from him. 😔

— 🦄💖Stacey💖🦄 (@TigerPrincess__) May 30, 2017

Healthy Harold is a goddamn Australian hero. Who else is going to teach kids about drugs in the back of a dark van?!! pic.twitter.com/WEGLiKfuwP

— Jenna Guillaume (@JennaGuillaume) May 30, 2017

I can't believe men in suits murdered Happy Healthy Harold

— Danaella Wivell (@DanaellaWivell) May 30, 2017

First #SafeSchools , now Healthy Harold The Giraffe?! The LNP really hates kids #auspol

— Tim Byrnes (@timbyrnes89) May 30, 2017

Changing my Avi in solidarity with Healthy Harold. Pic here if you want to do the same. pic.twitter.com/ShEDkqWESb

— oh hi (@ellipsii) May 30, 2017

Without Healthy Harold, kids are gonna think the food pyramid is just a 'loony leftie conspiracy' #auspol

— Tim Byrnes (@timbyrnes89) May 30, 2017

But not everyone was devastated, with many seeing the lighter side.

rip healthy harold...kids of the future aren't going to know what it's like to be taught about drugs by a giraffe in a dark van...

— chaotic lesbian (@gayIorswift13) May 30, 2017

If Healthy Harold had done his job, we wouldn't have this "obesity crisis". Right?

— James Morrow (@pwafork) May 30, 2017

if healthy harold was so good how come i'm an unhealthy slob

— dan (@darovda) May 30, 2017

Healthy Harold gone? But that's where 10 year old me learned to correctly pronounce 'marijuana.'

— Daniel Kirton (@mrdkirton) May 30, 2017

Healthy Harold is dead. Time for the rise of Barry the Safe Sex Banana @webbedmd

— Ross Purdy (@RossPurdy1) May 30, 2017