Eastern Southland can look forward to safer, more resilient communities with the launch of Neighbourhood Support in the area.
An event to kick off the initiative in Gore was held recently, to not only celebrate the work of Police and partnership groups in the area in setting up the programme, but also to get community members onboard.
Gore Senior Sergeant Cynthia Fairley, who has been instrumental in getting the initiative up and running alongside the Community Networking Trust and partnership agencies, says the importance of such a resource for Eastern Southland cannot be overstated.
“In recent times we’ve had COVID, and also the floods last year, where it became really clear how important having that neighbourhood connection is for people in our community," says Cynthia. "The benefits of bringing the community even closer together through Neighbourhood Support will be huge for us in terms of increasing safety and the resilience of our town.”
Community Networking Trust Neighbourhood Support Coordinator Kelly Young says the initiative will be a huge support for the area, and she's extremely pleased to have Police support.
“That involvement from Police is invaluable," she says. "We couldn’t do the project without it.
"We have such a positive relationship and great communication with Police, and this is only going to strengthen that bond between our communities and the work we’re doing together.”
Community members in Eastern Southland are now being encouraged to sign up as member households to build a large network of Neighbourhood Support in the area.
To find out how to become a member household, contact kelly.young@cnt.org.nz.