By Olivia Condous
The City of Melton celebrated Neighbour Day this week with a series of fun community events.
The city is formally commemorating the day for the first time, with morning tea events and a Rock n Roll dance class on Wednesday.
Neighbour Day is a national initiative from Relationships Australia which aims to encourage communities to build more connections to combat social isolation and loneliness.
March 27 will mark the 20th anniversary of the day after it originated in Melbourne in 2003.
Relationships Australia reported that Neighbour Day events have seen significant positive effects in involved communities, such as improvements to mental health and wellbeing.
Mayor Cr Goran Kesic said the council was proud to support the important day to help address loneliness in local communities.
“After a challenging two years, Neighbour Day will help our community celebrate togetherness, make social connections, and check in on neighbours,” he said.
To celebrate Neighbour Day, Melton council is holding a competition with six $250 shopping vouchers to be won, which can be spent at a selection of local businesses in the Melton area.
The competition is open until March 31 and City of Melton residents can enter by sharing a creative way of celebrating their neighbours, such as photo, poem, video or story.
All details of the Neighbour Day competition can be found on the City of Melton website.
