A new event helping people show off their skills and get to know their neighbours starts this weekend.

Down The Road, which kicks off in Newington Green on Sunday, is the first in a series of weekly get-togethers designed for people living and working in the area – including a mish mash of talks, films, live music and skill swaps.

It’s the brainchild of Rosie Warin, 27, and Manjul Rathee, 30, who came up with the idea after realising how many interesting people lived near them and how few knew each other.

Lovely

Ms Warin, of Newington Green Road said: “I had the idea at Christmas. We’re not religious but we still go to church as a family and it was so lovely – all my relatives and friends were there along with people from the community and I thought ‘why do we wait for Christmas?’

“So I started thinking of ways to do it. I wanted to make use of local talents and what people had to offer each other.

“Then Manjul came on board. She lives in the same road as me and we started asking people in the area what they thought and couldn’t believe how supportive everyone was.”

The first event, based around the theme “What is home?” will feature a talk by a long-term resident on the history of Newington Green, sets from musicians, art and craft hints and more.

“It’s really nice to make the most of that time on a Sunday,” said Ms Warin. “You’ve had your lunch, the shops are shutting, maybe you haven’t got much money left and this is a really nice way to connect with people.

“It’s a better start to the week, going to work on Monday being able to say ‘I learnt some Spanish last night’ or ‘I heard some great music’ or ‘I met my neighbours and they’re really nice’.

“It’s a place to have fun, learn stuff and meet people.”

Down the Road runs from 5-6.30pm at the Unitarian Building in Newington Green. For more details email rosiewarin@gmail.com or call 07894 353434.