Macra Launches Know Your Neighbour Campaign
Know Your Neighbour Month, Macra’s biggest community initiative, is kicking off this August. Know Your Neighbour Month aims to bring neighbours together to get to know each other informally. Those living in isolated parts of the country with limited access to services rely on their closest neighbours for support, security and friendship. The last 18 months have been particularly isolating for many and an initiative like Know Your Neighbour is a way to help individuals connect in a safe way that is compliant with prevailing public health advice.
This year’s theme is Cuppa by the Kerb, that has been generously sponsored by Compass Group. We are offering clubs Cuppa by the kerb packs containing teabags, biscuits and connection cards. We are asking our members to distribute these cards and tokens of kindness to neighbours in their local areas. Community development is one of the key areas of activity for Macra na Feirme members. By distributing these cards and gestures in their local areas they are letting their neighbours know that a Macra club is in their area and what Macra is all about. It also gives them the opportunity to invite their neighbours to safe events to get to know each other better such as a socially distant “Cuppa by the kerb” or a walk in their local area. It spreads the word within the community that there is a club in the area if they are ever in need.
“Events like this get to the heart of Macra na Feirme” said Macra National President John Keane. “We are delighted to be able to offer our clubs the Cuppa by the Kerb packs thanks to the generous support from Compass Group. With the pandemic restricting how we interact with each other, this offers the opportunity to get to know our neighbours in a safe way.”
“We are delighted to be sponsoring Cuppa by the Kerb and helping Macra na Feirme to forge crucial social connections in rural communities around the country”, said Deirdre O’Neill, Managing Director of Compass Group Ireland. “At Compass Group Ireland, community is enormously important to us. We work with small local producers every day in communities all over Ireland to source the very best fresh Irish produce. We want these communities to thrive and to support each other now more than ever, with the support of wonderful organisations like Macra na Feirme.”
Macra na Feirme and Scavenger Hunting Ireland are also joining forces to bring Macra members three innovative scavenger hunts as a part of Know Your Neighbour Month.
The new video and photo challenge will involve completing 30+ clues and tasks for a chance to win prizes. These events are a safe and socially distanced way of participating in Macra na Feirme’s Know your Neighbour campaign. Members can still be active within their communities and connect with others while maintaining a safe social distance.
These remote challenges can be completed anywhere within the event region. The first event is open to Munster clubs during the weekend of August 7th-8th, with the Leinster event taking place August 14th-15th and the Northwest event on August 21st-22nd.