Community Member Stories

Celebrate Your Neighbour, This Neighbour Day

Written by Jennie Sager

It’s been nearly 12 months since Covid-19 drastically changed our lives. We’ve seen business shut down, schools close, celebrations and holidays get cancelled and postponed, but through it all, one thing stood out more than ever before. As neighbours, we need each other more now than ever before. In times of uncertainty and challenge, we need our community. 

It’s time to “Celebrate Your Neighbour” by nominating someone who’s made a difference to your life in the last 12 months.  Maybe it was someone who dropped off groceries or walked your dog? Is it the neighbour who finally said ‘hello’ after living down the street for several years? Or, the local customer who ordered take-away from your business regularly and helped keep you afloat?  Neighbour Day,  Sunday 28th March, is the time to let your neighbours know how much you appreciate them.

Neighbour Day, a Relationships Australia initiative,  is officially celebrated each year on the last Sunday of March.  The purpose of the campaign is to remind people of the importance of social connection and neighbourly actions,  and as research shows, knowing just six neighbours reduces feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Neighbourly connections are truly impactful on mental wellbeing. 

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This year we are running a Neighbour Day competition once again! Last year Connie Spicer nominated her neighbour Geoff, because of the help and support he has given her since the passing of her husband. Geoff won the Grand Prize of  $500 which he  put back into the community, splitting donations evenly between Halidon Primary School P&C’s Sustainable Living Fete event and Friends of Yellagonga.   You can read more about last year’s winners here

There’s nothing we love more than reading your inspiring entries and stories. So, we encourage you to pay it forward and let your neighbours know how much they are appreciated by submitting an entry now.  There is no act of kindness too big or too small, and we look forward to celebrating Neighbour Day with all of our neighbours across Australia. 

Cast your nominations here.

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