Resources for neighbourhoods

Find out about getting to know your neighbours, planning a local project, keeping your street tidy and safe, and preparing for emergencies.

People talking on deck.
Get to know your neighbours

Guides, tips and resources

These resources provide ideas to start or maintain connections in your local community, and are available at your local Community Centre or library branch.

Neighbours contact cards

Use these cards to record your neighbours' names and / or support person's details. Keep a card in your wallet ready for use in a crisis or civil defence emergency. You never know when you may need to call upon your neighbours.

Printable neighbour contact card (1MB PDF)

Call us on 04 499 4444 to have some neighbours cards sent to you. Alternatively, you can pick the cards up from:

  • Community Centres
  • Libraries
  • Recreation Centres
  • Wellington City Council Service Centre, 12 Manners Street.

Offer of Support Cards

This is a neighbourly gesture inspired by a worldwide movement to help those living close-by who might be in self isolation. You can download the card, print it out, fill it in and drop it in your surrounding mailboxes. If you’re willing and able, this is great way to let your neighbours know that you’re there for them, should they need groceries picked up, mail delivered or just a friendly chat.

Support Card (329KB PDF)

Neighbourhood resources register

Make a register of people's skills and needs, and the resources in your neighbourhood, so you can be ready to help each other out.

Neighbourhood resources register (203KB PDF)

What is a 'resilient' neighbourhood and how do you get one?

A resilient neighbourhood is one that's prepared for anything – from a power outage to an earthquake.

What's a 'resilient' neighbourhood? (176KB PDF)

Knowing your neighbours

Knowing your neighbours is good for your mental and physical health, and for everyone that lives around you. It is a key step in building your community resilience and finding ways to build social support around you.

Find small ways of reaching out to neighbours, creating or joining online neighbourhood groups, and setting up ways of supporting each other. Our Neighbours Day page also has some good ways that you can get more involved in your neighbourhood. And when you’re ready to get together or organise activities with your neighbours, our Getting Together Guide has some simple steps to get your started. You can also print off one of our customisable event posters to put up around your neighbourhood, or pick up these helpful mailbox invite cards to invite your neighbours to your activity or event. 

Getting Together Guide (22MB PDF) 
Printable event poster (2.7MB PDF)
Mailbox invite card (4.4MB PDF)

Join your local Neighbourhood Support group at neighbourhoodsupport.co.nz

Conversation tips and mental wellbeing

It is important to look after mental health and find ways to have social contact. While different types of social contact work for different people, we all need other people in our lives. We will continue to update this section with local social resources, but here are some high level tips for conversations with other people, looking after your mental wellbeing, and local Wellington Mental Health resources..

Looking after your mental wellbeing

Helpful Conversation Tips

Emergency preparedness

The Council works with the Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO) to support emergency preparedness in the community. WREMO works directly with individuals and organisations to improve their readiness for emergencies.

See this handy poster to remind you of what to do in the event of an earthquake. This includes alternatives if you can’t do the standard 'drop, cover, hold' for mobility reasons. You can also see a list of items to store in your emergency kit.

In most emergencies you should be able to stay at home, so make sure you have everything you need for at least three days.

More information

Funding for neighbourhood projects

The Council's funding team can help with grant applications, and proposals for neighbourhood projects that aim to encourage community preparedness and strengthen local connectedness in a way that is sustainable and has ongoing benefit.

Funding

Kai cookers

You can borrow a kai cooker for free to help with catering for neighbourhood and community events.

Kai cookers

Event planning and support

The Council supports and promotes events of all sizes in Wellington City – from major corporate-sponsored events to smaller community events and programmes. Our City Events Team can give you advice and has equipment and resources to help you with your event. Check here for more details:

Wellington City Council event planning and support

Please also keep in mind considerations around the pandemic. To keep up to date with these, check here:

covid19.govt.nz