Relationships Australia Blog
Why getting to know our neighbours is good for us all
This week, as we approach the annual celebration of all things community – Neighbour Day on 31 March – I was reflecting on how, and why Relationships Australia became involved in this campaign almost a decade ago. Simply put, across the 75 years that Relationships...
Neighbourhood Connect is now an integral element of Neighbours Every Day
Relationships Australia is delighted to share the latest expansion of our leading social connection campaign, Neighbours Every Day [NED]. Commencing in 2024, the popular Neighbourhood Connect program is now a feature of NED, following a decision to transfer...
The Role of Pharmacy in Social Connection and Sharing Belonging
Guest Blog by Jenny Kirschner Pharmacies have a unique and personal relationship with their patients. Pharmacists and pharmacy staff all know of the many patients who visit more often, just so they can come in for an extra chat. For many older individuals who are...
The Transformative Power of Connections and Belonging on Mental Health: A Neurodivergent Perspective
Guest Blog by Michelle Ridsdale – Founder of Kaboose In a world grappling with loneliness, one in four feels the weight of isolation. Modern life is becoming increasingly more complex. The economic cost of autism globally is a staggering 1 trillion US dollars...
I had to become my own role model…so I did
Guest Blog by NED Ambassador DJ Cooper Smith "Melbourne based DJ and producer, Cooper Smith is an 18-year-old with cerebral palsy (CP) who … as a DJ artist brings high energy and passion to his performances. He loves producing music with an emotional vibe and dreams...
Why We Thrive on Connection
Guest blog by NED Ambassador Hugh Mackay AO 42,000 years ago, a cataclysmic climatic event wiped out four of the five species of humans that had been roaming Earth for the previous 2-300,000 years. Why was homo sapiens the only one to survive? According to a group of...
75 Years of better understanding – Relationships Australia’s 75th-Year Celebration at the National Gallery, Canberra
Relationships Australia marked its 75th anniversary with a celebration at the National Gallery in Canberra on Tuesday November 14 The event was attended by Relationships Australia members, past and present, from across the federation as well as Ministers,...
Guest Blog: We urgently need a community big build
It’s understandable we want to put COVID behind us. But in our desire to move on, let’s not throw out this hard-won lesson: given the opportunity and support, local communities come up with the best solutions. Communities through COVID banded together to fight...
Guest blog: Play as an antidote to social isolation and loneliness.
Do you remember as a child neighbourhood street play? An international movement, now here in Australia, is revitalising street play and reconnecting socially isolated communities. A Play Street is a simple concept, it is a temporary street closure on a quiet...
Guest Blog – Volunteers Are Change Makers – Relationships Australia – National Volunteer Week
Guest blog by Mark Pearce, Chief Executive Officer Volunteering Australia Volunteers Are Change Makers Millions of volunteers across Australia are giving their time and energy to make change in our communities. This National Volunteer Week we are celebrating the power...
Good neighbours help communities flourish
By Harry Lovelock, Acting CEO Mental Health Australia. Last weekend, amid an anti-trans rally, the passing of South Australia’s First Nations Voice to Parliament Bill, and the New South Wales state election results, Neighbour Day had its 21st anniversary. Neighbour...
A new online service directory launches to help more than 5 million Australians experiencing loneliness, find connection
To mark Neighbour Day, Ending Loneliness Together have launched Australia’s first national online directory to help more than five million people experiencing loneliness find meaningful connections so that they can live healthier lives. Loneliness is a serious but...
Reflecting on Belonging this Neighbour Day
By Nick Tebbey, National Executive Officer, Relationships Australia, March 21, 2023 Neighbour Day, the annual day of celebration and hallmark of Relationships Australia’s Neighbours Every Day campaign is finally here! On Sunday 26 March 2023, communities across...
Guest Blog – It’s not where you live, it’s how you live
Guest blog - Neighbours Every Day Ambassador Hugh Mackay AO Every community has its differences of opinion, its social divisions, and its cultural tensions, which is simply to say that every community is both diverse and, inescapably, human. If you want to master the...
The role community relationships play in fostering resilience
By Claire Fisher, Senior Research and Project Officer, Relationships Australia At Relationships Australia, we have been championing the importance of community relationships for many years. Evaluations of our Neighbours Every Day campaign demonstrate that those who...
Guest Blog – Connection & Belonging
Guest blog - Neighbours Every Day Ambassador Hugh Mackay AO We become deeply attached to particular places because of the life we associate with them. The most lavish house in the world will ultimately seem pointless and empty – except as the equivalent of a...
Creating belonging through respectful relationships
By Nick Tebbey, National Executive Officer, Relationships Australia. At Relationships Australia we talk a lot about the importance of respectful relationships. We know that having supportive, respectful relationships is good for our mental health, builds resilience,...
Our Actions Create Belonging
Building a future where everyone has equal opportunity to belong, contribute and thrive. This is the heart of Welcoming Australia’s mission, and it’s also a fitting way to enter the holiday season. When our families and communities gather as another year comes to a...
Relationship Indicators 2022 is live!
Relationships Australia is pleased to announce the release of Relationship Indicators 2022. The Relationship Indicators project is a nationally representative survey into the state of relationships in Australia. These findings inform our efforts to support all...
A journey from Neighbour Day to Neighbours Every Day – create belonging in your community
Neighbours Every Day You may have noticed that we’ve had a bit of a ‘makeover’ here at Neighbour Day. While our mission remains the same, our messages and resources are just a little bit different – and we hope even more helpful. We’ve been saying for some years now...
New PhD Scholarship Opportunity – help improve service delivery for children and young people
By Claire Fisher, Senior Research and Projects Officer, National Office Children and young people may have decisions made for them every day. From when to go to school to what to have for dinner, their lives are often planned and arranged. But when a family is...
Volunteering Australia guest blog – Volunteering: Bringing people together
Guest blog by Mark Pearce, Chief Executive Officer - Volunteering Australia Volunteering: Bringing people together This year’s National Volunteer Week theme is ‘Better Together’, which recognises volunteering brings people together; it builds communities and creates a...
2021 Research Overview – Assessing the Social Impact of Neighbour Day
By Claire Fisher, Senior research and projects officer, National Office Assessing the social impact of a campaign is no easy feat. As outcome-focused approaches have come into favour, the need to shift from measuring outputs, to measuring outcomes, has helped the...
Personal connection in the new world
Guest blog by Dr Leanne Beagley, Chief Executive Officer - Mental Health Australia It is a new world. The pandemic has left us with a new appreciation of our home and work spaces. It has left us with increased recognition of the important contribution school makes to...