That’s when ‘Good Neighbours’ become good friends

The term “community cohesion” doesn’t mean much to most people. But if you suggest it can be about having a chat and a cuppa with a neighbour, it starts to make sense.

At Knowsley Council, our ‘Good Neighbours’ communications campaign is breaking down a phrase only used in local government circles into an idea that people can relate to.

The message is simple: get together with your neighbours, share a cup of tea, get to know each other and help create a friendlier community.

Our campaign – tied in with the national Big Lunch initiative – has a lighthearted feel.

It is being promoted across both traditional print channels as well as online using social media to reach residents of all ages. A mock news broadcast about a shock tea shortage threatening community spirit across the borough has been produced and posted on YouTube, with hundreds of hits in just a few days.

It has been backed up by an advertising campaign with a local newspaper wrap-around bearing the headline: “THE GREAT KNOWSLEY TEA SCANDAL”.

The jokey campaign ends by directing people to the council’s website or telephone number for help setting up their own Big Lunch with neighbours.

Events have been arranged around Knowsley where free goodie-bags of mugs, tea bags and tea towels are being handed out to rescue ‘parched’ friends and neighbours and kick-start their tea party preparations.

Knowsley’s Good Neighbours campaign is being further cemented with the establishment of our first ever Good Neighbours in Knowsley Awards.

Nominations were invited for people who do “that little extra thing that makes their neighbourhood a better place”. The Awards will be presented to members of the community at a special ceremony on Thursday 24th September.

The initiative is innovative, quirky and witty, but more importantly, is transforming a key objective into something personal that people can understand, and even enjoy.

You can have a look at the mock news broadcast on Knowsley Council’s YouTube channel www.youtube.com/knowsleycouncil, or click here and, of course, feel free to comment.