Every day is Neighbour Day…

It’s been a very neighbourly few months of celebrations starting with Relationships Australia South Australia’s Elevate Festival in Adelaide Hills in February. We had the delight of welcoming our new Neighbour Day Ambassador Sophie Thomson from ABC’s Gardening Australia at the Elevate Festival with hundreds of festival goers.

Neighbour Day’s virtual launch kicked off on 29 February with people across Australia sharing the same neighbourly message - ‘The community you want starts at your front door’ ™. Check out our Facebook page photos and videos for some of the action – Members of Parliament, Ambassadors, community organisations, councils, local champions, businesses, schools, and more – it was a massive virtual event!

With Neighbour Day falling over Easter this year, celebrations of community have been spread throughout March and April – with some still planned for May. We were delighted to hear that more than 90 local councils and shires across Australia have promoted, supported, incentivised and/or hosted events! Our new Ekits were also a hit with more than 1,600 downloads by hosts, councils and community organisations and workplaces. Community engagement in Neighbour Day just grows bigger by the year!

Relationships Australia recognises that local people are the experts when it comes to local communities. As part of a recent online survey, we asked you to let us know what is working best for Neighbour Day in your community, and what we can improve. Thanks to all who participated. Close to 94% of respondents told us they find Neighbour Day a useful way to connect with their neighbours and 92% indicated that they are planning on maintaining ongoing contact with their neighbours and community. That warms our hearts!

Taking it to the streets…

“Living in a neighbourhood that is ‘neighbourly’ ranks high on most people’s wellbeing lists. When asked, people say they want to know their neighbours, to feel comfortable stopping to chat, even to share things, to offer help or, indeed, to ask for help. There are neighbourhoods where this sense of community is well developed, and people living in them feel richer for it.

But there are many places where this connectedness has not happened – or, hasn’t happened yet. It actually takes only one or two people to get the whole process of building a neighbourly neighbourhood started.

The idea is to experiment, to discover what might bring your neighbours together. What would the people on your street like to do together? What might sustain and grow the connections? The essential ingredient is regular social get-togethers; everything else is icing on the cake.” Read full article from Street by Street.

Street by Street is a national project aiming to turn streets into communities and foster an Australia-wide network of neighbour groups.

You told us your stories…

We know that great neighbours and neighbourhoods exist all over Australia. The Neighbour Day ‘Tell Us Your Story’ competition invited people in communities around the country to share their stories of an extraordinary neighbour, or an amazing neighbourly act.

Sharing these stories is important.

Stories of great neighbourhoods provide inspiration, joy, and hope for others. They also encourage others to take action or to do something for their community – small or big.

To be inspired, check out the competition winners and their stories.

Relationships Australia is the home of Neighbour Day

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