The Ross-on-Wye Good Neighbour Great Get Together will be launched on Sunday, June 23rd between 12noon and 2.30pm at the Bandstand in Wye Street. All Ross residents are invited to bring a picnic, meet lots of new friends and find out more about how to get involved. The event is free.

At the picnic there will be stalls from local groups and organisations, as well as fun activities for all ages. In the afternoon picnickers will be able to enjoy the regular Bands in the Park concert.

When Councillor Jane Roberts became Mayor of Ross she said that she wanted to use her year in office to combat loneliness by making our town an even stronger community.

Ross Good Neighbours is the first step: a new project that aims to tackle loneliness by helping people to help each other.

Ross Good Neighbours will put a questionnaire through every letter box Ross over the summer to find out who can offer to help their neighbours, and who

would welcome help. Help might be, for example, with gardening, baby-sitting or simple befriending.

All volunteers will be trained to understand the limits of their role and how to refer to other services when appropriate. They will also be vetted by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for the peace of mind of those requesting help.

If you cannot join the picnic, you can get involved with Ross Good Neighbours by filling in the survey at http://bit.ly/RossGoodNeighbours .

The picnic is part of a nationwide series of Great Get Together events promoted by the Jo Cox Foundation, which encourages greater understanding within communities. This was what Jo herself campaigned for, saying “we have more in common than that which divides us”.