Neighbourly.com.au has launched in Australia, with 81 suburbs across St George and Sutherland Shire chosen for its pilot. Neighbourly country manager Mella Moore explains the purpose of the site and why membership has many benefits.
1. What does 'being neighbourly" mean to you?
It means looking out for each other, being friendly and helpful to your neighbours. It means caring about what happens in your neighbourhood and being involved with your community.
2. Why was neighbourly.com.au born?
Neighbourly was born out of the desire to get people not only chatting over the web but also over the back fence again. We all lead such digital lives these days that it made sense for a social media platform to be the starting point. Research shows that connecting with your neighbours leads to friendlier and safer neighbourhoods.
3. Do you think Australians are a neighbourly bunch?
I think traditionally they have been, but society and our lifestyles are different nowadays.
We've seen how strongly people have taken to other social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to connect to people, so it's obvious to me that we have a desire to be connected and sociable. However, as it's been getting easier to connect to people on the other side of the world, it's been getting harder to connect to the people on your doorstep.
Neighbourly.com.au can help change that by bringing us back in touch with those around us.
4. Why is it important to know your neighbours/be connected to your community?
We are social creatures and there is lots of research to demonstrate that having good social connections contributes to good health and a longer life. Our community is the place we choose to live and spend our time so having stronger connections closer to home can only help this along.
5. What are some of the benefits to using the site?
Firstly, it's useful — if you have an old sofa you want to sell or give away, you can let your neighbours know with one quick message on Neighbourly.com.au. If you need a recommendation for a good local dentist or to find a babysitter, you can ask your neighbours.
Or if you want to find other people in your area with similar interests, Neighbourly is the best place to organise a book club or walking group. These are just a small number of examples, of course!
6. Who is neighbourly.com.au designed for?
It's for everyone. Perhaps you have a room to rent, if you have lost your cat or found a dog — on Neighbourly, you can get the message out quickly and receive a response quickly.
Perhaps your car was broken into — our urgent safety alerts are great in notifying your neighbours of any suspicious activity.
7. What does "the next wave of social media" mean?
We're used to using social media to expand our horizons — to stay in touch with friends who live overseas or follow the trends. Neighbourly.com.au brings us back to connecting with the people who live around us — it brings all the benefits of social media to your suburb. You can shape your community by connecting with your neighbours.
8. What have been some of the milestones to date?
Each week we welcome literally hundreds of new neighbours. Not to mention more than 50 community groups have joined and we have just welcomed Sutherland Shire Council as a partner.
9. What is your favourite part of your role as country manager?
I get most excited about all the great things that happen because of people connecting on Neighbourly.com.au, discovering they can volunteer at the Sutherland Shire Council Animal Shelter or trying out a new local cafe that was recommended on Neighbourly.