Press Room
Macra initiative urges people to 'get to know their neighbours'
Macra's national president, Colm Markey says that he's hoping that all over Ireland, in any location where people have neighbours, activities will be organised by individuals and groups over 'Know Your Neighbour Weekend' that will allow people to meet and interact with those living in their area.
'Since the arrival of the Celtic Tiger, we've seen increased prosperity in both rural and urban areas, but many people are now also faced with the increased pressures that come hand-in-hand with modern living. Long hours at work, ever-increasing commute times and family and other commitments, mean that people are spending less and less time involved in community-based activities. All too often we hear people saying that they don't even know their own neighbours. As a result of this, the purpose of Know Your Neighbour Weekend is to encourage people to organise an activity on the weekend of July 15th and 16th and to invite people who live in their local area. It is our objective that this will act as a catalyst for a continued increase in interaction between neighbours,' he said.
A list of suggested activities and events that people could undertake as part of the Know Your Neighbour Weekend is available on the official website www.knowyourneighbour.ie. These include a barbeque, a coffee morning, a picnic, a football game, a clean-up day of the local estate, a trip to the races etc. The interactive website also encourages people to apply for an organiser's pack containing printed posters, fliers, invitations and stickers.
Macra is encouraging as many people as possible to take the lead and organise an event for their neighbours over the weekend of July 15th and 16th. 'We need to do something to enhance the sense of community in the areas where we live. Research has shown that there are countless positive benefits to interacting with those who live close to us, but an unfortunate symptom of modern Ireland is that, in a lot of cases, we are just not doing this. Know Your Neighbour Weekend offers people the chance to do something to rectify this situation,' said Mr Markey.
For more information on Know Your neighbour Weekend, visit: www.knowyourneighbour.ie.
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