Council celebrated Neighbour Day (31 March) with a series of community events from 24-28 March 2024. The initiative, led by Relationships Australia, seeks to increase social connection in our neighbourhoods by offering opportunities for residents to come together, meet new people in your local area and create new friendships. The theme for 2024 was Neighbours Every Day – Create Belong, Share Belonging.
Sunday 24 March
Neighbour Day Colour Fest in Taylors Hill
On Sunday 24 March, Taylors Hill Youth & Community Centre came alive in a wash of colour at a Colour Fest event. Local community members came together to celebrate the Indian festival of Holi, the festival of colour, alongside Neighbour Day. People of all ages and faiths enjoyed the throwing of coloured powder before sharing a selection of traditional foods.
Thursday 28 March
Community Walk & Morning Tea in Kurunjang
Community members local to the Kurunjang area were treated to a delightful get together where 30 participants took a 2.5km scenic walk with Council officers from Kurunjang Community Hub and around the Little Bind Creek Reserve. Along the way, walkers learnt about the reserve itself and the recent addition of the Disc Golf Course, whilst discovering family friendly walking paths and playgrounds. Upon returning to Kurunjang Community Hub, attendees relished in friendly conversation as they enjoyed a free morning tea prepared by the hub’s on-site social enterprise café, YouthGrounds. Participants also received a goodie bag filled with Nature Passports, coloured pencils, disc golf discs, Community Garden worksheets designed by the in-house gardening group, nature and gardening books, community centre information, postcards and much, much more!
Morning Tea & Mural Reveal in Caroline Springs
In the lead up to Neighbour Day, the Caroline Springs community were invited to contribute to a community mural under theme ‘What makes you belong to the Caroline Springs community?’ Those wishing to participate were provided with art supplies and a piece of material to decorate. Stevenson House’s in-house sewing instructor, with help from volunteer Cathryn, were then tasked to assemble each of the 31 completed pieces into a distinct and imaginative mural, showcasing the rich diversity and individuality of our community. The meticulous stitching process consumed a total of 13 hours of work to create the final piece. 45 people including local community members, contributors of the mural, representatives from local groups and more, attended a morning tea event to celebrate the success of the project and to mark Neighbour Day at Stevenson House, where the mural is now displayed permanently.