Know Your Neighbour

For some, that may mean a first wave or a chat over the fence, inviting a neighbour over for a cup of tea, or hosting a street barbecue. Put simply, it’s about small steps to help and support you in getting to know your neighbours.

Know Your Neighbour Ideas

Here are some ideas that you can use to get to know your neighbours.

Kindness

• Leave a gift of home grown flowers for a neighbour.
• If someone in your neighbourhood is unable to have a pet, maybe you could take yours for a visit. Having a pet is a well-known boost to wellbeing.
• Post notices on community boards offering to drop off groceries and do errands for older or people with disability who may not be able to get to the shops.
• Offer to take one of your neighbours to the Glen Eira Gallery to see our latest exhibitions together.

Games and activities

• Organise a games afternoon for children in the neighbourhood — chalk drawing, hopscotch, roller skating.
• Make a list of icebreakers for people to ask during these events.
• Organise an arts and craft session for the neighbourhood children.

Swap and share

• Next time you mow your nature strip, mow your neighbour’s as well.
• Organise a street verge planting project. Check our nature strip guidelines page.
• Exchange phone numbers in case of emergencies.
• Keep safe — set up a Neighbourhood Watch group or organise a home safety gathering with your neighbours. Visit the Neighbourhood Watch website. 
• Exchange greetings in different languages; try to learn some basic phrases of the various languages spoken in your street/neighbourhood.

Indoor activities

• Start a street book club — invite neighbours over to discuss your favourite books.
• Organise a movie night at your home and invite a neighbour to come along. You could even make it a dress up theme, according to the movie you watch! The kids will love this!
• Invite a neighbour over to do an exercise class — yoga, meditation, pilates, HIIT — there are plenty to choose from. Take a look at the Glen Eira Leisure website.

Get connected

• Set up a street/neighbourhood chat group to help meet and connect with neighbours.
• Set up an informal and inclusive regular residents’ group catch up session.

Out of the box

• Get creative with your neighbours and decorate your letterboxes together.
• Make a book of stories with neighbours that celebrates great things about your street.
• Find out who plays what instrument in your street and organise a musical jam session.
• Start a neighbourhood library (eg. ladders, tools, books, toys, sports gear, music).
• Garage Sale Trail: invite your neighbours to join you in one big garage sale.

Good Neighbour Recognition Program

Connecting with our neighbours creates positive relationships that can last a lifetime.

Do you know a neighbour who is friendly, helpful and inspires others through their acts of kindness? Then why not nominate them to be recognised as part of our Good Neighbour Recognition Program.

What is a Good Neighbour?

Good neighbours provide connections between people and create a sense of community. They provide emotional support and practical assistance or build relationships with people who live around them so that they feel safe and connected.

Examples of neighbourly activities include acts of kindness such as:

• Sharing a meal or baked goodies with neighbours
• Offering to mow a neighbour’s lawn
• Offering to transport a neighbour to appointments/shopping.

For more ideas on how to identify a good neighbour and how you can be a good neighbour see our Know Your Neighbour Ideas

Who is eligible?

The neighbour being nominated must:

• provide permission on the nomination form to be considered 
• be a current Glen Eira City Council resident 
• not be an employee of Glen Eira City Council 
• not be a family member of the nominator 
• offer their help out of their own free will and without monetary reward  
• not be helping the neighbour as part of an existing formal volunteer role. eg. delivered meals 
• contribute to a positive community spirit 
• engage in an activity that boosts the Glen Eira community wellbeing and the quality of life in the neighbourhood or enhance the safety or presentation of our neighbourhood or be a kind and helpful neighbour whose actions have impacted you personally. 

What is the selection process?

• Nominations are open all year round.
• Nominations will be based on the information provided by the nominator.
• Eligible Good Neighbours will receive a letter and certificate congratulating them on their positive neighbourly contribution.
• A Council Officer may contact eligible Good Neighbours to arrange an interview with them which may appear in the Glen Eira News to promote their neighbourly acts of kindness.
• Nominations must be made using the SmartyGrants portal.

Nominate your neighbour using the button below.

For further information, email goodneighbour@gleneira.vic.gov.au or contact 03 9524 3333 to start the process to nominate your Good Neighbour!