Timberlea all in for Neighbours Day Aotearoa
Timberlea residents celebrated Neighbours Day Aotearoa with 260 people turning out to seven community-led street
gatherings on the weekend of Saturday 29 March.
Upper Hutt, 9 April 2014 - Neighbours Day Aotearoa celebrations formed part of the long term project TOP Timberlea,
aimed at connecting neighbours in order to build community resilience, promote personal and neighbourhood safety,
health, and wellbeing.
Neighbours Day Aotearoa, celebrated nationwide, is an initiative that is about ‘turning strangers into neighbours and
streets into neighbourhoods.’ The suburb of Timberlea, took the idea as an opportunity to have some fun with other
residents and get to know one another.
Children in Speargrass Grove enjoyed a game of street cricket with newly donated gear given to the Timberlea Community
Centre by ANZ Bank. Those in Aniseed Grove hosted an afternoon tea with homemade scones and cupcakes and made a
colourful setting in their local reserve.
“I was so pleased to see so many neighbours who had never met, take the opportunity to come and chat to each other. It
was great to see both kids and adults enjoying themselves. This simple get-together goes a long way to demystifying who
your neighbours are and breaking down barriers” says TOP Timberlea Coordinator, Kathryn Flannery.
Neighbours Day Aotearoa was also celebrated at the Clyma Park and Tawai Park Community Gardens, and at Mangaroa School,
hosted by the Mangaroa/Whitemans Valley Community Resilience Network.
About Upper Hutt City Council
Upper Hutt City Council is the steward and custodian of Upper Hutt City, providing governance, infrastructure, and
community services and resources, and promoting opportunity in the city for business, recreation, lifestyle, and
leisure. Upper Hutt City is located 30 km north-east of Wellington City (41°07'34" S, 175°04'06" E) and boasts 70% of
the region’s parks and reserves, along with state-of-the-art entertainment and leisure facilities.
For more information on Upper Hutt City and the City Council, go to www.upperhuttcity.com
ENDS