Making quality connections with his neighbours has earned local resident Kash Ahearn the 2024 City of Gosnells Neighbour of the Year Award.
From caring for neighbours experiencing tough times by tending their gardens, sharing produce from his vegetable patch, sharing home-baked goodies, checking in on neighbours whose families are further afield and lending an ear when needed, the 23- year-old has charmed everyone on his street since buying his first home three years ago.
Mayor Terresa Lynes said Kash demonstrated what a great neighbour can mean to others in the community.
“It is easy in today’s world to feel disconnected and overly busy, but Kash and the city’s other Neighbour of the Year nominees have demonstrated that small deeds can have a huge impact on others in the community,” she said.
“The Neighbour of the Year Award celebrates the importance of having good neighbours and being a good neighbour. Congratulations to everyone who was nominated this year.”
Kash was nominated by neighbour Michele Rees, who said Kash had been on a mission to help make their corner of the city a better place.
“He is a delight to have around, a reminder that being a good neighbour isn’t about grand gestures but the simple, everyday acts of kindness that make a community feel like home,” she said.
“Kash has shown us that the strength of a neighbourhood lies in the connections we build and the care we show for one another.”
Special commendations were also awarded to Ken Russell and Karry Fisher.
Ken was nominated for assisting neighbours with gardening, putting out rubbish bins, making runs to the tip, shopping, odd jobs and regularly checking in with neighbours to say “hello” and make sure everyone on the street feels safe and secure.
Karry was nominated for advocating for footpath and park upgrades in her neighbourhood, including ramps for the elderly and people with disability, as well as being ready to lend a hand with gardening and helping with food hampers.
Winners were announced and nominees recognised at a special morning tea at the Civic Centre on Monday 25 March.
