The success of the City of Fremantle's Neighbour to Neighbour program has been recognised with a 2021 Resilient Australia WA Award.
The Resilient Australia Awards celebrate and promote initiatives that build whole of community resilience to disasters and emergencies around Australia.
The Neighbour to Neighbour program, which was created in March 2020 as a rapid response to keep the community connected during the COVID-19 lockdown, was announced as the winner of the Local Government Award at a ceremony yesterday afternoon.
Fremantle Deputy Mayor Andrew Sullivan said the primary aim of Neighbour to Neighbour was to ensure that no-one was left isolated during the lockdown.
"There were a lot of elderly or vulnerable people who were cut off from their usual social contacts because of the lockdown, so we called on the Fremantle community to look out for each other and make sure no individual was left to fend for themselves," Cr Sullivan said.
"Through a mailout and media campaign we asked for volunteers who were willing to help vulnerable people in their local area with simple errands, like picking up groceries or medicines, walking the dog, posting the mail or just checking in with a friendly phone call.
"This resulted in 520 residents immediately wanting to volunteer.
"Within 24 hours of the launch, 15 other local governments had contacted the City about doing something similar, and all of the resources we created for Neighbour to Neighbour were shared through WALGA.
"Since the initial COVID lockdown, Neighbour to Neighbour has evolved in response to changing circumstances and needs.
"The program is still activated during lockdowns, and also continues to help residents requiring one-off assistance throughout the year or help with referrals to more sustainable in-home care.
"But best of all, it has really brought the community together and people are genuinely getting to know their neighbours."
As part of the Neighbour to Neighbour program the City of Fremantle now runs a monthly Together Again Café to ensure a social connection is maintained for isolated people in our community.
Neighbourhood connections are also encouraged to grow through Neighbourhood Quick Response Grants, a St Pat's support worker is now based in Fremantle Library and the City has recently published the Fremantle Outreach Services map.
