Healthy Tasmania is excited to support Neighbour Day on the last Sunday in March with a community challenge.

We are working with Relationships Australia Tasmania to fund and promote ideas that help to beat loneliness in Tasmanian communities.

Challenge entrants have the chance to win a $5 000 or $1 000 grant for their community activies to help bring neighbours together.

Read some of the inspiring ideas from last year’s winners.

Tasmanian Community Centres Celebrate Neighbour Day

Northern Suburbs Community Centres

Lots of fun and laughter was had when the Northern Suburbs Community Centre hosted a morning tea for 40 community members and their families to celebrate Neighbour Day.

Many local organisations attended and contributed their ideas on how to make connections with neighbours.

The community centre provided vouchers to participants on the day and throughout the year to encourage healthy eating through their Freezer Filler and Community Lunches.

Residents had the chance to participate in a weekly community lunch cooked by centre volunteers or to get take-home meals for their freezer.

Winning the Healthy Tasmania Neighbour Day Challenge allowed the centre to provide 240 community members with free vouchers for the Freezer Filler Program.

“The nutritional meals and portion sizes have helped me to lose weight which has helped my diabetes, I am feeling good,” one recipient said.

Another said: “How easily ‘strangers’ come together to be connected with a meal and go home happy.’’

Railton Neighbourhood Centre

Railton Neighbourhood Centre used their Neighbour Day Challenge prize to buy equipment and shade covering to connect the centre to their community garden to allow bigger courses and community gatherings.

Burnie Community House

Burnie Community House supported after school out-reach programs, bought seating for the library and technology to help disadvantaged community members access resources and participate in activities with their challenge prize.

Community Connection In The Hood-Movie Day

A local resident, with the support of Jordan River Service, held a free movie day for local families to connect during the school holidays with the prize money from the Healthy Tasmania Neighbour Day Challenge.

Families received a show bag containing information about local services and programs available. Many local families enjoyed participating in a free local family event and appreciated that it was inclusive of children of all abilities and cultural backgrounds.

Councils Help Residents Improve Their Neighbourhoods

Kingborough Heights residents used their Neighbour Day Challenge prize creatively to beautify their local park. With the support of Kingborough Council, the community have added a yarning circle; a historical interpretation panel; community library; a fence mural of native plants; picnic tables; and tree planting at the renamed Mount Royal Park.

Glenorchy Little Street Library Project

Glenorchy residents now have greater access to reading books thanks to the initiative of locals.

Glenorchy residents, in partnership with Glenorchy City Council, 26Ten and Glenorchy Library, used their Neighbour Day Challenge prize to create a series of little street libraries around Glenorchy. This allows local residents to share great reads by providing free access to books.

Communities Coming Together for Neighbour Day

Dorset Connections

Scottsdale Seventh Day Adventist Church, through the Neighbour Day Challenge, bought isolated people together through a series of monthly activities.

Cuppa with friends was successful in bringing people together for a cup of tea and social support.

Tiny tots playgroup helped connect young mothers with babies and saw the sessions extending from one hour to two hours as parents enjoyed it so much.

Cooking demonstrations and Kids club promoted healthy plant-based recipes and encouraged good food choices. Organisers were excited about community members asking for ideas on how they could improve their health.

With One Voice Break O’Day

The With One Voice Break O’Day community choir is gaining momentum with over 25 regular participants attending rehearsals.

The choir, through their Neighbour Day Challenge prize, connected their keen vocalists from St Helens with those in St Marys by providing a regular mini-bus to rehearsals and providing a shared healthy meal afterwards.

This has strengthened connections between participants from this diverse all-abilities choir, ranging from six to 70 years of age.

The choir has performed at several local community events.

King Island Playground

Children from King Island are enjoying playing on their new playground built at the Reekara Community Complex thanks to King Island Playgroup.

Playgroup volunteers, with help from the local Lions Club and the Neighbour Day Challenge prize, built the playground as a safe place for children to play.

Local families are enjoying the new space for playgroup, school camps and birthday parties.

Mountain River Community Hall

Mountain River Community Hall Committee hosted a free barbeque for local residents to celebrate Neighbour Day.

Locals shared stories, history, suggestions for local events and a healthy lunch.

This celebration has led to donations to the local hall, raised awareness of activities taking place there and plans for future events.

Middleton/Gordon Good Karma Networks

South Channel Residents and Rate Payers Association used its Neighbour Day prize for equipment to host a series of local barbeque events.

The first was a barbeque promoting the newly established Middleton and Gordon Good Karma Network where local residents can reach out to neighbours, connect, ask for help and share resources.

This event was followed by a ‘Wags and Snags’ dog walking event for mental health week.