Hi Greenhithe I’m Suzanne and I am engaged by the Greenhithe Community Trust to boost Neighbourhood Support here.

We facilitate our wonderful Street Contacts. They pass on information to their street and encourage occasional street gatherings to discuss street issues especially security. 70 parts of streets have Street Contacts here but more are needed.

We also facilitate International Friends for newcomers every Tuesday mornings at No.12 Greenhithe Road.

Together we work towards a vibrant caring community. It’s a great way to meet people and it’s fun too!

If you are interested in being a Street Contact or have some great ideas about neighbourliness , you can contact me at gctsuzanne@gmail.com

We are grateful to Neighbourhood Support NZ and COGS for generous grants toward Neighbourhood Support Facilitator hours.

Why do we have these groups?

-To strengthen community spirit
-To provide a means for residents to meet and develop a caring and secure environment for everyone
-To prevent the occurrence of crime in the neighbourhood
– To provide a common voice on dealing with local issues such as rubbish, traffic problems, graffiti, street lighting etc.
– To better deal with and survive civil emergencies

How does it work? – It’s all about being a great neighbour!

-Welcoming new neighbours as they move in and inviting them to join the group
– Responding to and reporting suspicious behaviour to the Police first and also to each other
– Employing sensible security habits
– Looking out for each other
– Being prepared for civil emergencies
– Making a special effort to include those who may feel isolated eg new kiwis with English as a second language or the elderly

What is involved?

You will be glad to know it is not about endless meetings or setting up committees! It is very informal, casual and fun. Someone in your street volunteers to be Street Contact and collects everyone’s details to make a street directory and then registers the group. After that do what works best for your street to encourage everyone to keep connected and be a great neighbour.

An annual Know Your Street BBQ is a great idea. Pick up a free $50 supermarket voucher from me between September and March each year to supply your event, invite the neighbours and have fun!

You can find out more about Neighbourhood Support New Zealand here www.ns.org.nz

If you are interested in joining please contact Suzanne by email at gctsuzanne@gmail.com