On Sunday 28 March residents at Ingenia Lifestyle Lakeside Lara fired up for a neighbourly evening of ‘speed dating’ to get to know their neighbours, to celebrate Relationships Australia’s Neighbour Day.

With more than 50 residents in attendance, the community took the Neighbour Day message to heart, and gathered across the at community clubhouse to exchange quick-fire facts about themselves and their lives.

With a raffle, door prizes, a Most Valued Neighbour Award and a burger bar to liven up the evening, residents were in no shortage of good spirits.

Resident Ms Judith Prigg said she hoped the event would lift the mood and create an opportunity to combat the impacts of loneliness and self-isolation.

“I’ve been aware of Neighbour Day for a few years and now that social restrictions are easing in Victoria, we thought it was a great idea to do something fun and inclusive for in honour of the day,” said Judith.

“In any community, that sense of connection needs to be nurtured and we need to actively support people to build relationships – that’s why I really wanted to do something special.

“This is bigger than just Neighbour Day, we want to carry this on throughout the year and get everyone involved – it’s especially good for any new residents who need help settling in.

“Everybody has something about them and their life that’s interesting, you just have to ask and get to know them – that’s what this event was all about.

Judith has been known to be an active member in the community and the founder of Lakeside Lara’s ‘Wheelie Awesome Bike Club’ and worked closely with the Ingenia community to organise the event.

“I think it’s really important that we look after each other,” Judith said.

“That became even more evident during lockdown because we weren’t allowed to socialise in person, but we could wave or say hello if we walked past our neighbours in our daily round of outdoor exercise.

“At the end of the day, we know how to have a good time here. That’s what why we moved here − we want to live in a community where we can enjoy ourselves and have fun.”

Ingenia Lifestyle Lakeside Lara Community Manager Cath Stahl said Victoria had been hit the hardest by lockdowns and creating opportunities for residents to get together and have fun was essential.

“It was a fantastic chance to engage everyone in the event, bring them back together and make sure they were faring ok – this wasn’t just a social event, it was also a bit of a welfare check,” said Ms Stahl.

These events are held in conjunction with the Ingenia Lifestyle Be Active program, designed to encourage residents to stay active and social year-long, building and maintaining friendships, and good health and well-being.

“The program integrates games, social initiatives and physical activity to keep the community spirit alive in between celebrations like this,” Ms Stahl said.

Neighbour Day highlights the importance of knowing your neighbours and the broader community, and the Ingenia Lifestyle Lakeside Community is actively finding ways to make ‘every day neighbour day’.

To find out more about Ingenia Lifestyle Lakeside Lara, please visit: liveinlara.com.au