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November 2009
Neighbours across Auckland have seen just how easy it is to lean across a fence, say ‘gidday', and get to know each other during Auckland's first, and very successful, Neighbours Day, held on Saturday 17 October.
Research has shown that 81% of Aucklanders would like to get to know their neighbours better, and Neighbours Day is about just that: It's a celebration of neighbourliness and, it is hoped, will herald the creation of supportive, healthy and connected neighbourhoods across Auckland.
LIFEWISE initiated the celebration day and were joined by a coalition of willing supporters across the region who helped get the message out. John McCarthy, General Manager at LIFEWISE says they took action because "one special day of ‘celebrating the importance of neighbours' can foster and strengthen friendships in our streets and reduce the need for more formal social services by making our neighbourhoods healthier, safer and more fun places to live."
The activities of the day ranged as widely as the weather - from story reading about neighbours at Glen Innes Library, to street barbeques in East Coast Bays and Grey Lynn, street clean ups and sausages in Otara and lots, lots more.
Neighbours Day 2009 reminded people about the value of strong neighbourhood connections and encouraged people to take action in the streets where they live. Megan Courtney, of Inspiring Communities, and her children (pictured below, bottom right) delivered cookies to 14 neighbours, some of whom they knew, and some they didn't.
Megan says "Everyone was totally rapt to receive them...We now know names of people we've been smiling at for 5 years and faces and names for people who we didn't know were behind fences."
In Panmure, the gift of Neighbours Day muffins to an elderly woman brought much joy. She returned the kindness on Sunday with loaves of freshly made bread.
John McCarthy says "Based on the success of this year, we think Neighbours Day has a bright future. Similar initiatives overseas have started on a small scale and become successful country-wide campaigns. We hope Neighbours Day will be a catalyst to get everyone thinking more about neighbourhoods."
The Neighbours Day Champions Group, formed to support this year's Neighbours Day, agrees. In reflecting on this year's successful launch, the coalition wants to start exploring how to promote a wider message that ‘every day should be neighbours day!'
A number of other New Zealand communities already have some wonderful "neighbourly" initiatives. In Lyttelton, Christchurch, new residents are welcomed into the community with a cloth shopping bag full of home baking and helpful information as part of Project Lyttelton. Established six years ago, the Project has helped to make Lyttelton a desirable place to live, and a community which is attracting people from all over the world.
In Taita, Lower Hutt, newborn babies are welcomed with a gift pack delivered to the family: just another way the local community - which already offers expectant mothers access to midwives, facilities such as a toy library, and heaps of pre- and post-natal support - says "we've noticed and we care".
If you'd like to know more and help explore how to bring Neighbours Day to your part of Aotearoa, please email us.
We look forward to a growth of neighbourhoods who know and support each other throughout the country: watch this space!
Aimee Whitcroft
(1) Results of The State of Our Neighbourhoods study (2008), commissioned by Network PR on behalf of Nescafe NZ, and carried out by Colmar Brunton. |
