Getting to know your neighbours during pandemic could prove vital

Sunday’s Neighbour Day celebrations may have been called off due to the coronavirus restrictions around Australia, but Director of Relationships Australia Alice Springs Max Yffer believes the day’s message has never been more important.

Getting to know your neighbours could be more important now than ever.

Sunday’s Neighbour Day celebrations may have been called off due to the coronavirus restrictions around Australia, but Director of Relationships Australia Alice Springs Max Yffer believes the day’s message has never been more important.

Supposed to be held on Sunday, Neighbour Day aims at bringing together people in streets for a barbecue to get to know one another.

Founded in 2003, Neighbour Day promotes social connection through communities with the aim being to support vulnerable neighbours in times of need.

Plans to meet were scrapped due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Yffer believes strong relationships with your neighbour could be vital now more than ever.

“Neighbour Day 2020 provides us with an opportunity to expand our connections and understanding of community and ‘neighbours’,” Mr Yffer said.

Director of Relationships Australia Alice Springs Max Yffer. Picture: EMMA MURRAY

“In reality Neighbour Day (the actual day itself) is simply a catalyst to encourage people across all communities to build and strengthen their social connections every day.”

Mr Yffer said it was still possible to form strong connections with your neighbour despite social distancing restrictions in place across Australia.

He pointed to recent Facebook groups popping up in the Alice Springs community as ways to create connections without engaging in person, saying they perfectly reflected the idea of Neighbour Day.

“While social distancing means distancing ourselves physically, it doesn’t mean totally closing off our social connections with others – particularly those in our community who might be more vulnerable,” Mr Yffer told the Advocate.

“It is Relationships Australia’s desire that the new connections being built across town which are helping to care for people in need, may continue well beyond the current crisis that we are facing, to truly reflect the ethos of ‘’every day is Neighbour Day’.”