Sharing is as easy as crossing the street

Tighter local communities will help us flourish, restore hope and increase positivity despite uncertainties.

Share...for your health

Reducing people's isolation will drastically improve their quality of life. This is particularly important for those vulnerable members of our communities; elderly people living alone, new parents or emerging refugee communities, for example.

The Sharehood provides a means to remove barriers between people by showing that "everyone can be your neighbour". The Sharehood experience can, too, be a bridge between people of different ages, nationalities and cultures. As well as people with mental health diagnoses, the lesbian or gay community and also bisexual and transsexual people.

The principle of the Sharehood is that you can share with your neighbours and get to know them, and then "everyone is your neighbour".

There is an identified link between people's sense of belonging in a place, or a community and being connected with other people that is critical for good mental health. Recent Government policy in Australia has focussed on "social inclusion" to encompass those who are marginalised in the community.

People's isolation from others contributes to poor self image and mental health. In Western capitalist societies, participation is often dependent on an ability to buy something, such as items from a shopping centre or the entry price to an event.

The Sharehood offers an alternative to "inclusion by consumption" as we promote sharing resources we already have with those who don't have access to them.

The Sharehood has been discovered from Aotearoa (New Zealand) to the UK. Joining is free! And once you have entered your details, you will be linked to the closest 100 members to you, where you can see what they are offering and seeking to share.

If there aren't enough people close to you, the website has instructions and a form letter to help you get a Sharehood started in your neighbourhood. And then the fun begins! It all starts at www.thesharehood.org.

It really is as easy as crossing the street.