From Seoul to York and Everywhere In Between: Celebrating Over 35 Years of Being Good Neighbours

Good Neighbours UK is celebrating the anniversary of the global Good Neighbors partnership. It was started by a group of friends in South Korea who had a dream of a more harmonious world without hunger. Good Neighbors has since evolved into a globally accredited organisation, currently working in over 50 countries, but the conviction remains the same – that ordinary people, given the chance, will look after each other; that hunger and hardship are not problems to be observed from a distance, but challenges that good neighbours can resolve by coming together, and that marginalised and vulnerable populations are best placed to understand their own needs, and we must work with them to support the changes they ask for. Our commitment continues until the world lives in harmony 

More than three decades on, that idea has travelled. It first took root in Bangladesh, where an international project was launched just a year after the organisation was founded. It has since shaped emergency responses in Somalia and Rwanda, built over a hundred schools across Africa, and established a presence in more than 50 countries. In 2024, the partnership reached over 9.8 million people across more than 200 communities worldwide.   

Here in York, Good Neighbours UK is part of that global story. We partner with communities, local organisations and funders to create lasting change in low and middle-income countries.  

We believe the people closest to a problem are best placed to solve it. Our job is to support them, share learning, and stay long enough to nourish lasting change. In this process we have built schools in Zambia, maternity wards in Niger, provided clean water in Cameroon, helped people with disabilities to access education in Nepal. We work to be Good Neighbours to the world from our little office in York.  

In an increasingly divisive UK, promoting Global Neighbourhood is more important than ever. As the government turns away from providing aid, it is more important than ever that we recognise the world is unequal, and it is a privilege to be able to help those in need. We stand to help connect the communities in the UK to the rest of the world, to show how we are more similar than different. What makes this anniversary special is not simply the number of years. It is the way this partnership actually works as a network of trust that shared resources will be used well, that communities will be listened to, and that there are thousands of us working toward a shared duty in generosity. This is the reason a small charity in York can contribute to work that reaches millions. The model’s strength lies in connecting local knowledge with global reach. 

We hope you will join us as we raise a cheer for our colleagues, partners, supporters and community members who make Good Neighbours a global community we can be proud of.  

Watch the video celebrating 35 Years of Good Change for the World.

#35YearsofGoodChangefortheWorld #GoodNeighbors #EmpoweringPeople #TransformingCommunities

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Good Neighbours UK is a registered charity in England & Wales (No. 1191924) and a company limited by guarantee (No. 12118933)
Address: Priory Street Centre, 17 Priory Street, York, YO1 6ET

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