Looking out for our neighbours

“It’s important that everyone tries to look out for each other, as not everyone has family or friends close by.”

In our cul-de-sacs we are lucky to have lots of people engaged with each other. Yes, there are people who are already involved in helping their neighbours and vulnerable people in the community. But there are some people who might need a nudge, and that’s where the Looking Out for Our Neighbours campaign is useful.

There are lots of ways you can engage with your neighbours. In my area, for example, we help each other by offering to cut someone else’s lawn. Not everyone has a huge lawn, so they don’t have a lawn mower. If someone is already cutting their lawn, they often offer to cut their neighbours’ grass too. It doesn’t take much time or effort to do something simple like that.

Another thing we do as a neighbourhood is hold street parties. They’re great for catching up with everyone and meeting new residents in the area. Some people have lived on our street for a long time, some have been here more than 20 years. Then we have some student properties where the residents might change each year.

So there’s a real mix. But it’s important that everyone tries to look out for each other, as not everyone has family or friends close by who can help. This campaign is a good way of reminding people about these things.