Kind Neighbours

In March 2020,  5049 CC instituted a successful Kind Neighbour initiative to support our community during the first wave of Covid-19.   Dr John Setchell suggested the idea and together with Mike Rutherford, David Cruickshanks-Boyd and David Bagshaw, coordinated volunteers to drop flyers in letterboxes across most streets in the 5049 community.  In a very short time, we had recruited over 35 volunteers to assist us with the program.

The primary aim was to support those members of our community who were potentially adversely affected by isolation.  This initial outreach demonstrated the capacity of our community to respond to a call to be Kind Neighbours. Judy, our program manager was subsequently funded to work part-time for 13 weeks from a State Government Community Well-being and Resilience grant.  This kick-started the second wave of the Kind Neighbour Program with the launch of a forum for the new ‘Neighbourhood Connectors’ held on July 9th and August 15th, 2021.

The task group networked with a growing list of other community providers, including Holdfast Bay and Marion Councils, the ‘Neighbourhood Connect’ website, and the ‘Neighbourhood Circles’ initiative. Sarah, from Neighbourhood Circles, has researched the barriers to access and inclusivity for the more vulnerable in our community and supported the Kind Neighbour project with practical information from her state-wide research.

In 2022 the Neighbour Trailer was launched. The 5049 Coastal Community Neighbour Trailer is now available for hire to volunteers, residents, and community groups. Equipped with a BBQ, three sinks, two eskies, and a solar-powered refrigerator, the trailer is perfect for community events and gatherings of all sizes. All that is needed is a flat space to park the trailer on private land. For larger events, permission needs to be sought from the relevant council, so advanced notice is needed. To hire the trailer make your enquiry here.

For more information, contribute any ideas or to volunteer with the Kind Neighbour project please email 5049communicator@gmail.com attention Judy.

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