Neighbour Day – building social connections that make a difference

Neighbour Day is Australia's annual celebration of community which aims to foster social connections and encourage people to build better relationships with those who live in their neighbourhood, especially the elderly and vulnerable.

The celebration has been running annually on the last Sunday in March since 2003, with Relationships Australia taking over responsibility for the initiative in January 2014. Find out how Neighbour Day began.

This year, Neighbour Day falls on Sunday 29 March.

The theme for Neighbour Day 2020 is ‘Social Connection’. This year, we are encouraging Australians to build strong social connections with the people around them, because it can truly make a difference to the lives of those who may be struggling with isolation or loneliness. 

“I had always wanted to have a connected neighbourhood but didn’t really know where to start. Neighbour Day gave me ideas, tools and an excuse to get on with it."

- Neighbour Day host

We tend to think of lonely people as old or single people living alone. However, people experience loneliness across the age and social spectrum, including young people, people living with their families, and even people surrounded by others in the workplace. It is critical that we reinvigorate our communities; persuade people to connect with their neighbours and in doing so, conquer loneliness in Australian neighbourhoods.  That’s what Neighbour Day is all about. We feel better when we belong. 

Get involved

Your Neighbour Day can be as big or as small as you'd like - there are lots of ways to get involved, including:

• hosting a BBQ with your neighbours
• planning a ‘bring a plate’ street party
• organising a game of cricket on the local oval
• having a party on your front lawn
• meeting for afternoon tea in the back paddock
• enjoying a neighbourhood picnic in your favourite park
• attending a local community event
• or simply inviting a new (or long time) neighbour around for a cup of tea and a chat.

We encourage you to celebrate Neighbour Day in whatever way best suits you and your community.

Visit the official Neighbour Day website to find out more, register your event and download free resources to help you celebrate Neighbour Day. You can also connect with Neighbour Day on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram to share your neighbourhood stories and exciting plans.