Helping communities in Suffolk to become even friendlier, more supportive and kinder places to live!

What is a Good Neighbour Scheme?

A voluntary initiative run by a group of local residents who want to help people in their community to enjoy a better quality of life by offering them support with everyday tasks. This helps to build a stronger and more resilient community.

Not all groups in our Network are called Good Neighbour Schemes, but they have the same ethos and purpose.

FIND OUT MORE

Where are our

Suffolk

Good Neighbours? 

Across our Network there are dozens of schemes and community support groups scattered across Suffolk, serving many parishes and tens of thousands of people.

Our list of Good Neighbours and their contact details are available by clicking on the link below.

DISCOVER US

Join the Suffolk Good

Neighbour Network!

If you're interested in starting a safe & sustainable community support group or Good Neighbour Scheme in your local community & joining the Suffolk Good Neighbour Network you can click below to find out more, and contact Jane our Good Neighbour Network Development Officer, who will talk you through the process.

HOW TO JOIN

Suffolk Community Foundation funding and support to join the Suffolk Good Neighbour Network

Small grants are now available to help mutual aid groups to continue their support to the local community and join the Suffolk Good Neighbour Network. Contact janet.perry@communityactionsuffolk.org.uk or visit Suffolk's Self-Isolation Fund at www.suffolkcf.org.uk

Scroll down for more information in our Good Neighbour News section, or CLICK HERE!

CAS Logo

In 2017, Community Action Suffolk received funding from the Big Lottery, now the National Lottery Community Fund to increase the number of schemes in Suffolk and support those already operating around the county, with the overarching aim of the project being to develop active neighbourhoods to build resilient communities through the scaling up of the Suffolk Good Neighbour Network.

CAS is the ‘go to’ organisation for VCSE organisations in Suffolk. We exist to ensure our sector, and its volunteers, is supported, safe and sustainable and that our communities are active and resilient. We provide (or signpost) whatever is needed behind the scenes to enable this, so you can concentrate on doing what you do best – making Suffolk an incredible place in which to live and work.

Community Fund Logo

Find out how Community Action Suffolk is helping Suffolk communities to be ‘good neighbours’ and why these lovely East Suffolk Good Neighbours do what they do!

Good Neighbour News

Suffolk Community Foundation funding and support to join the Suffolk Good Neighbour Network

A lovely new fund has now opened that is especially to help mutual aid and community groups join the Suffolk Good Neighbour Network by ensuring they have enough funds to set up safely and easily; grants of up to £1500 are available. To help those who may be interested, Suffolk Community Foundation &...

Virtual Coffee Breaks, Dementia Friends sessions, and Compassionate Communities Q&A - all available to book now for free!

Here is a list of our current Suffolk Good Neighbour Network networking, learning & support opportunities, why not take a look and book your free places now, they are open to existing Good Neighbours, community support volunteers or those out in the community interested to find out more!...

Claydon & Barham Good Neighbour Scheme Big Lunch Picnic

Why not take a look at our little video featuring Claydon & Barham Good Neighbour Scheme's first Big Lunch Picnic!...

More news

What our Good Neighbours and their communities say

“I knew about Good Neighbours for ages, but I was looking after myself and didn’t think it was for me. Living on my own, I was becoming more isolated so I thought I’d give it a try. It’s so friendly, I have a chat and see familiar faces. They make me feel like me, not like I’m receiving help.”

Brantham Resident

What our Good Neighbours and their communities say

“The Good Neighbour Scheme is the main reason I stayed living in the village after my husband died. We’d lived a little further out, but I was going back and forth and it was too far to get here. The volunteers are very kind, they’ve helped me put in lightbulbs, but they also help with computers and gardening, or give people lifts to the hospital. I really don’t know what we’d do without them.”

Long Melford Resident

What our Good Neighbours and their communities say

“I volunteer to sort out the lifts to get people here (to our Coffee Morning), but also to other things like doctors appointments. Sometimes you can tell on the phone that they haven’t spoken to anyone for a while. Once, we called a lady and it turned out she’d had a fall at home, but no-one knew, so we went round to help her out. My employer releases us to do four hours volunteering a month and I’m glad I did this as it gives me a purpose and it’s good for me too, it helps my mental health and I feel a part of something that makes a difference.”

Long Melford Good Neighbour

What our Good Neighbours and their communities say

“The volunteers are a close team. We know who’s making the cakes, who’s making the sausage rolls, who’s setting the tables out. We get together outside of GNS too, we have lunch and talk about what we can do to improve things in the community. We get something from it too, it makes you feel good to do good.”

Brantham Good Neighbour

What our Good Neighbours and their communities say

"When you get that first call from someone who needs help, you never know what to expect, but between us we know who can help out with various things and we all look out for each other"

Snape Good Neighbour

Suffolk Good Neighbour Network Logo

Your Suffolk Good Neighbour Network Officer is here to help

Types of Support Available

Guidance to help you form your scheme

Governance & Policy Templates and our Good Neighbour Toolkit

Support with identifying and applying for funding

Providing information and resources to support with good practice