Springfield Lakes offers grants for Neighbour Day

SPRINGFIELD Lakes fostered community spirit as they celebrated National Neighbour Day on Sunday, March 27, offering local residents grants of up to $200 to host their own village or street barbecue.

Working closely with the Springfield Lakes community, Delfin Lend Lease offered four successful applicants IGA vouchers of up to $200 to match contributions of volunteer time and materials.

Residents of Sailboat Way, Colorado Way and streets of The Promenade Falls, Park Edge and Wildflower Ridge villages truly showed their community spirit, with Sailboat Way resident Alison Sim looking forward to hosting another barbecue next year.

“It was a great mix of people at our event, with some neighbours still living in the first homes that were constructed in the street and others that have only moved here recently,” Ms Sim said.

“A family just bought the house next door to us and moved in last Thursday so it was a wonderful welcome for them and an event we would like to see repeated regularly.”

Lend Lease project director Ian Murray said the Neighbour Day barbecue grants were a great initiative to bolster the strong sense of community already enjoyed by Springfield Lakes residents.

“We're very proud of the strong neighbourhood spirit here at Springfield Lakes, and we want to help foster that sense of community by encouraging residents to get out and meet their neighbours,” Mr Murray said.

“It was great to see so many residents get involved in the day, with four grants awarded throughout the community and more than 100 people taking part in the Neighbour Day events around our streets.”

Neighbour Day is Australia's annual celebration of community, bringing together people who live next door or across the street for a beer, barbecue, or even a cuppa.

Springfield Lakes enjoys access to world class educational facilities including two new state schools (primary and secondary) which will open in 2011, dining and shopping precincts and public transport options including a $646 million dollar rail line coming in 2013, with Orion Springfield Central and Brookwater Golf Course right on its doorstep.