The tenants of Bowral’s iconic shopping precinct Springetts Arcade, have launched the world’s first Thankyou Blog to encourage their customers to take time to acknowledge those people in their community who deserve thanks for the good deeds they perform, but are to often overlooked or taken for granted.  

“We wanted to do something positive to remind our customers to value the old Bowral courtesy and charm that has made this place so special,” commented Kimberlee Mayvald             proprietor of the Arcade’s Highland Cards shop. “I think that our busy lifestyles have made a lot of us become too self-centred and we’ve forgotten the value of stopping to say a simple “thankyou” or “well done”, when someone deserves it. And it makes them and us both feel so much better for it.”

In a recent study, Australian National University professors in Social Attitudes discovered that incivility or self-centredness, has increased so dramatically that society is experiencing a profound social breakdown. 85% of people involved in the research believed that it contributes to eroding crucial values such as respect for others.

The study also found that people are too ready to criticise, and too few actually take the time to voice and show their appreciation. As one senior Bowral shopper put it: “as children, our parents constantly stress the importance of saying “please” and “thankyou” to others, but as we grow up, this core value diminishes, probably because we have all become so self-centred and inconsiderate. You can’t blame it on lack of time or lack of people to thank.”

Schools in the Southern Highlands are also saying Thankyou on the Blog. Both Burrawang and Berrima Public Schools will display their Thankyou drawings in Springetts Arcade this week. Each child has acknowledged someone they feel deserved recognition. Some felt their hockey coach and teacher deserved thanks, while others just wanted to thank their Mum.  

The world’s first “Thankyou Blog” will go live today via the Springetts Arcade website www.springettsarcade.com.au. Visitors can create their own thankyou note of appreciation to an individual or a group. Or they can simply browse through the blog and be inspired by the amazing deeds being performed daily throughout the local   community. They won’t make the local news but now for the first time, they have a good chance of being recognised on-line, even across the world!

Springett Arcade General Manager Tony Springett & Marketing Coordinator Jessica Gavin