Council relaunches Legendary Neighbour campaign with a twist

Published: 02 Mar 2023

This year, council is putting a new twist on its successful annual Neighbour Day campaign.

Rather than reaching out to the community to recognise neighbours and neighbourhoods that are already tight-knit and generous, council is launching a campaign to help those who don’t feel connected to their neighbourhoods.

Mayor Greg Williamson said the “Be a Legendary Neighbour” campaign would provide 10 families with Legendary Neighbour boxes complete with everything they would need to host an introductory get-together with their neighbours.

Boxes will include a $75 Sinclair Meats voucher, Legendary Neighbour invites to personalise, cups and plates, and conversation cards to help break the ice.

“This Neighbour Day initiative is aimed at those who may be new to a street or may have never had the opportunity to become acquainted with their neighbours,” Mayor Williamson said.

“We want to help build a more connected community because connected communities are resilient – they look out for each other,” he said.

“That can take the form of checking in on each other’s physical and mental wellbeing or helping to prepare for, or recover from, natural disasters.”

Mayor Greg Williamson said the My Legendary Neighbour Campaign had been a tremendous community initiative.

“In 2022, council received 75 nominations for residents deserving of the title of ‘Mackay’s most Legendary Neighbour’ and that was such a heart-warming result – the stories that came from it were beautiful,” Mayor Williamson said.

“After a few years of running that campaign though, we decided that we’d try a different approach that will encourage the forging of new legendary neighbour relationships.”

To register for one of the 10 Legendary Neighbour boxes, residents need to head to council’s website and answer the question – “why would you like to build relationships with your neighbours?”.

Applications close noon, Friday, March 24, and those with the 10 best answers to the above question will be notified on Tuesday, March 28.

Council will also be hosting a series of free “Cuppa with your neighbour” events where you can enjoy a free coffee while networking with other residents in your neighbourhood.

Council’s Community Development officers will be at these events to have a chat and share more information on activities happening in your area.

Cuppa with your neighbour events will be held on:

  • Tuesday, March 14, from 8am to 10am at the Seaforth Mango Trees
  • Saturday, March 18, from 10am to noon at Sealand Takeaway and Café, Midge Point
  • Tuesday, March 21, from 8am to 10am at Beachfront Bar and Restaurant, Bucasia Esplanade
  • Thursday, March 23, from 9am to 11am at The Esplanade, Grasstree Beach
  • Friday, March 24, from 8.30am to 10.30am at The Pinnacle Whistlestop Coffee Cart

About Neighbour Day

Neighbour Day was founded in Melbourne in March 2003 by local resident, Andrew Heslop, after the remains of an elderly woman were found inside her suburban home, more than two years after her death. Relationships Australia became the custodian of Neighbour Day in 2014 and the day has since grown into an ongoing, year-round social connection campaign that seeks to address loneliness across Australia. Neighbour Day is celebrated on the last Sunday of March annually.