We are so pleased to be able to announce the winner and runners up for our NDA story comp.

Congratulations to Victoria from Arch Hill, Auckland! A year's supply of Bell Tea will be making its way to you very soon!  

We'd love you all to read Victoria's NDA story as well as four other stories that proved to be stiff competition. We were very inspired by the stories that came across our desks and cannot wait for NDA 2013!

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WINNING entry

“People met people... New friendships formed”

What we loved about this story:

We are inspired by Victoria’s efforts in promoting NDA throughout her neighbourhood. Through Arch Hill’s ‘Love Thy Neighbour’ NDA initiative, she mobilised many neighbours to connect in creative ways, and also involved local businesses. We definitely agree, Arch Hill knows how to 'love thy neighbour'!  

Our Neighbours Day kicked off with a breakfast I hosted at my home to launch Love Thy Neighbour on Saturday. Tamati Coffey from TVNZ Breakfast broadcast live from 630-9am, it was an early start with all the camera crew arriving at 5am to set up! Great fun though, and lovely for everyone to meet each other ahead of the 'secret santa' project we're running on Neighbours Day. 

We had about 50-60 come by over the course of the morning (the oldest Robert at 70, the youngest, Piata-Aria at just 6 weeks). Luckily I had convinced the local cafe to help us out with catering and they pitched in with coffees and freshly baked blueberry muffins. Our local butcher chipped in too with a couple of kilos of bacon, our local green-grocer brought around an enormous basket of fresh fruit, and neighbours brought with them still warm croissants, gingerbread, banana bread and scones. I even spotted people exchanging recipes! It was a Monday morning feast! I had initially thought it would be a one off event, but it went so well we're committed to make it a regular thing.

Love Thy Neighbour was a Secret Santa style project for neighbours, except they didn’t have to stay secret. I invited residents to contact me if they wanted to be involved, then paired them with another household who had signed up. People were invited to tell a little bit about their household if they wanted to (a flat of three, a couple with four year old twins, someone with a dog named Dog). Each household was paired with another household, so the potential was to meet at least two households that live nearby.

And the locals made some huge efforts – lots of baking, treats for pets, plants, garden produce, chalk graffiti on neighbourhood walls (!), access to a Warriors season pass for a week and a cocktail lime tree were transported secretly and not-so-secretly around the narrow streets. So much thought went into the choices and presentation and now there are loads of happy pictures on the Facebook page and plenty of notes about how awesome those involved felt! So awesome in fact that many gave not once but twice – back to the household that gifted them as well as to their assigned one. After the weekend I did a prize draw, where people that had been involved had the opportunity to win prizes donated by friendly and very supportive local businesses. Cafe vouchers, tshirts, a meat pack, cleaning packs, beauty products, a cake and more. 

It was awesome. The whole thing. People met people. People treated people. And new friendships formed. I've been asked over and over again to do next year. I will! I loved it, I loved being a part of it. Arch Hill knows how to Love Thy Neighbour!

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“We have started!” 

What we loved about this story:

We appreciate the way in which this street used NDA as a catalyst to involve their street’s young people and to connect different cultures. We are inspired by their plans to keep the neighbour relationships going by meeting monthly. 

We had a great 2 hours on Saturday in Marion Ave, Mt Roskill. It was advertised as a shared morning tea/lawn sale we did a total of 3 paper drops into the boxes the last one was a door to door invite.  Maybe 12 – 15 households turned up to show their support, meet others or just to buy. There were children present, and youth came. Some rang and said they were supportive but couldn't make it that day. Positive feedback so we would like to meet monthly. Thank you for the chance to promote getting to know our neighbours. Now that our street has started meeting we plan to meet monthly. It's amazing there were about 6 different ethnic groups represented, only a small percentage of the street however, but we have started!

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“28 neighbours, 8 children and 2 dogs” 

What we loved about this story:

This street’s example highlights the opportunity of using NDA to help build resilience amongst neighbours to work well together in times of need and crisis. We loved hearing about the plans to extend the number of Neighbourhood Support groups - once again, a fantastic preventative measure for this neighbourhood. We were also inspired by their example of sharing cups of tea while enjoying their street’s green space. 

We were impressed with the turnout for our Neighbours Day Aotearoa ‘Meet the Neighbours’ Coffee and Cake Afternoon Tea on Sunday 24 March 2012. 

We confirm attendance of 28 neighbours, 8 children and 2 dogs.  My special neighbour organised for a University lecturer and paramedic who volunteered his time to demonstrate the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) machine for us.  The demonstration was most informative and helpful to us all. Because early AED defibrillation before emergency service arrival doubles a victim's chance of survival we all agreed we would work together to assist a neighbour in need of treatment. We have two Neighbourhood Watch [Support] groups set up and are currently working on extending this number.

The children were spoilt with an Easter egg hunt in the grass and toys to play with and take their selection home. Our neighbours all enjoyed cups of Bell Tea, coffee and cakes in the sunshine at the end of our wonderful street, Park Rise which is on the boundary of the Pupuke Golf Course and Centennial Park on the North Shore.

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“Circle of people around us” 

What we loved about this story:

We loved hearing about the effort made by these neighbours to connect with people living closest to them by extending manaakitanga and hospitality. Handmade invitations show a personal and creative touch. 

We had a breakfast this morning – cereals and fruit, homemade hot cross buns, tea and coffee.

We invited a “circle” of people from around us, three households of whom are new to our neighbourhood – 13 people in all came.

We handmade special invitations which we placed in people’s letterboxes about three weeks ago, inviting them to come.

A great time – good to meet the new neighbours, and it was interesting to find that people had common friends or relatives. Two of the newcomers have the same name – Merrin!

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“Pancakes in the Park”

What we loved about this story:

This story showed how NDA can be a catalyst for small towns coming together. Sharing kai / food is a great way to connect with neighbours. 

E) We celebrated Neighbours Day on Saturday the 31st March 2012. We named it Pancakes in the Park and that is what we did cook and ate Pancakes in the Park. A brunch of pancakes, fresh fruit, cream and maple syrup along with tea, coffee and juice was relished by a least 80 people. 

The idea rose a bit of curiosity in our small town called Mangakino.  Along with great food we were fortunate to have visit us from Rotorua. Jill and Brian from the Travelling Tuataras they were amazing, a hit, they really got people interacting by playing the bucket drums and freestyle painting. Both the young and the elderly found themselves participating. 

To top it off the weather was stunning. People stopped sat around ate their pancakes, talked contributed, participated. A dot map and paintings all allowed for interaction and two wind socks were created one that says what we love about our neighbourhood in Mangakino and the other of things we would like to see here in the future. Neighbourhood postcards were made by the tamariki and a few names were added to a neighbours register for follow up on future neighbourhood events. 

Most importantly our Community was engaging with each other. We weren't just promoting Neighbours Day we were having an awesome Neighbours Day. The Town Park and square a place of minimal activity was buzzing and vibrant. The Mangakino neighbours were friendly, happy and engaging. A great result!

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