Get ready to celebrate neighbourhoods in Aotearoa
Neighbours Aotearoa is almost here! The 2025 theme is Let’s Celebrate which is about celebrating neighbourhoods, connections, and people coming together.
Neighbours Aotearoa encourages all those living in Aotearoa to take the time to reach out to their neighbours every March – whether through a friendly “kia ora”, a shared project, or a neighbourhood gathering.
It could be connecting with a neighbour for the first time or a whole street coming together for a clean-up, it’s all about building relationships that can lay the foundation for future connections.
Neighbours Aotearoa have lots of promotional tools and support to encourage you to take part this year.
Grab yourself a free fridge magnet
To mark 15 years, of Neighbours Aotearoa have created limited-edition fridge magnets.
Let them know online how you’ll take part this year, and they will send you two magnets - one for you and one to share with a neighbour!
Chat with a Neighbours Aotearoa connector
Keen to get get ahead with your planning? Neighbours Aotearoa has an awesome group of people to support neighbourhoods to organise activities and events, share ideas, and offer practical advice along the way.
Contact your local Neighbours Aotearoa Connector.
You can book a quick 1:1 kōrero with the Neighbours Aoteaora virtual connector online for tips, advice, or just to bounce around ideas.
15 years of Neighbours Aotearoa
This year, Neighbours Aotearoa marks 15 years of strengthening neighbourhood connections across Aotearoa. Rebecca started Neighbours Aotearoa, and shares how this initiative came about and her hopes for the future.
“Neighbours Day Aotearoa grew from a desire to 'normalise' knowing our neighbours again. As I moved around different communities talking with residents, it became clear that most of us want to connect more at the neighbourhood level, but sometimes find it hard to do so. We built a campaign to remind us of the benefits of knowing our neighbours. It was our hope the messages would inspire connection between neighbours. Whether participating through a humble 'hello' or hosting a neighbourhood’s first street party, we saw the message resonate with thousands of people. If we encouraged people to take steps to meet one another where they live, then perhaps loneliness, in part, might reduce.”
“My hope for Neighbours Aotearoa is that more individuals, communities, councils, organisations, and businesses get behind the campaign's messages so that we can continue to inspire thousands of people across Aotearoa to make a special effort to connect more 'over the fence' where they live.”