the inner city
weekender FRI 25 OCT 2013 • Issue 160
PROUDLY INDEPENDENT P
Printed on 100% recycled paper
Trades & Services Tra
Blunt’s Aus landing
Need help at your place this weekend? p.20-21
Passing the baton Founder of Neighbour Day looks for new event organiser
James Blunt announces tour dates p.12
BASIL NAIMET @ICWJournalist
P
etersham residen t Andrew H eslop who started Neighbour Day in 2003, an initiative that sees neighbours across Australia get to know each other one day a year, announced on Monday he was giving it away. The idea behind the na tional day was first pro posed i n a l etter t o The Ag e in M arch 2 003 a fter Victorian Police found the remains of Mrs Elsie Brown in her Melbourne home – forgotten by her neighbours, friends and family. A coroner la ter established Mrs Bro wn’s dea th had occ urred tw o y ears earlier in J anuary 2001 but she had never been reported as missing. An urgent call to check up on elderly, vulnerable or sin gle neighbours li ving alone has gro wn to become a national series of street parties, barbecues, open da ys, festivals, fairs and other formal and informal community activities run by neighbours, residenc y groups and loc al g overnment thanks to Mr Heslop. The 2012 NSW Volunteer of the Year, Mr Heslop said he didn ’t wan t the ini tiative to turn in to a fundraising venture, rather he wanted to make it
Ashes replica giveaway p.18
Free Wi-Fi available Trial in local parks and centres begins p.3
as cost effective for people as possible. “My in tention w ith this projec t was to mak e it easy for people to come tog ether in their o wn neighbourhood and just g et to kno w each other . They could be as c reative or e xtravagant in put ting it together, or as simple as they like,” Mr Heslop said. “All people have to do is go online register their event and i t’s done. They c an or ganise a party , have a BBQ , or just a couple of people g etting together and having a cup of tea.” The projec t has gro wn e xponentially, and requires more funds and commitment. “It is w ith an enormous sense of pride and achievement that I have made the dec ision to relinquish Neighbour Da y after guidin g it for more than 10 years,” he said. “Neighbour Day needs financial support that is significantly greater than wha t I am able to pro vide. I t needs a formal str ucture and a team of people who c an guide i t during business hours – not after hours and on weekends as I have needed to do,” he said. Mr Heslop wanted to espec ially thank M ember for Grayndler Anthony Albanese for his continued support over the 10 years. “I noticed Albo tweeted this today and I want to thank him for his support.” Expressions of in terest f rom not - for- profit organisations who w ish to take over the reigns c an be sen t to: informa tion@neighbourday.org or posted to Neighbour Day, PO Box 968 Double Bay NSW 1360. The ne xt Neighbour Da y is scheduled for Sunday, March 30, 2014.
Andrew Heslop, founder of Neighbour Day. Photo: John McRae Photography
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