22 February 2022
Southern Downs Regional Council is proud to support Neighbour Day this year and is encouraging the community to reach out and over the back yard fence to those who live near them by hosting a local community event in the spirit of social connection.
Celebrating its twentieth anniversary on Sunday 27 March 2020, Neighbour Day is a national initiative launched by Relationships Australia to reduce loneliness by building respectful and sustainable connections across communities.
There are many different ways to get involved with Neighbour Day, whether it’s big or small - an event, activity or neighbourly action - it all contributes to building respectful relationships, sustainable connections and reducing loneliness in our communities. Everything you need to help organise your Neighbour Day event is now available on the www.neighbourday.org website.
Council is supporting the initiative in 2022 by offering $200 Woolworths Essentials gift cards to 20 neighbourhood-organised events on Neighbour Day.
Southern Downs Councillor Marco Gliori praised the humanity of the program and hoped the local community would get behind the annual celebration by applying for one of the grants.
“While we are a proud and resilient community, as a region we are prone to natural disasters which heightens the need for us to look out for one another,” Councillor Gliori said.
“At the heart of this initiative is a timely reminder of the importance of building and nurturing social connections with the people in our immediate community and indeed over the back yard fence.
“Loneliness is detrimental to our overall wellbeing and being connected with those living closest to us alleviates feelings of isolation and makes us feel safer and connected.
“It doesn’t need to be Neighbour Day to say hello to your neighbour, but Neighbour Day provides the perfect opportunity to come together and foster a sense of inclusion with those around us.
“I look forward to seeing how neighbours across the Southern Downs come together to celebrate Neighbour Day.”
Want to host an event for your neighbourhood? To win a $200 voucher, go to https://www.sdrc.qld.gov.au/neighbourday and tell us about your Neighbour Day celebration and how it will encourage people to connect with those who live in your neighbourhood (200 words or less). Entries are open now until Sunday 13 March 2022. Winners will be notified by phone on Monday 21 March 2022. Terms and conditions apply.
Council recommends that people make themselves aware of the public health authorities’ advice and only plan and participate in neighbourly actions that are safe and allowed. Stay up to date and informed so that you can keep your neighbourhood safe and connected.
Neighbour Day is brought to you by Relationships Australia, a national not for profit organisation that believes in the power of the Australian community to support its most vulnerable, to tackle loneliness, and to work together to ensure respectful relationships throughout the pandemic and beyond.
Funding for this activity is through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangement (2018), a joint arrangement between the Australian and Queensland Governments.
Last edited date 22 Feb 2022