Bringing Chaguanas parishioners together for some healthy socialising

In 2023, a small group of parishioners in the parish of St Philip and St James, Chaguanas, came together to stage a ‘Family Day’ on Easter Monday. The group felt that there was a need to provide opportunities, via social events, for parishioners to interact, have fun and get to know one another.

With Chaguanas being a large parish consisting of three large communities—Longdenville, Cunupia, and Chaguanas—the team was determined to make this happen.

The Family Day consisted of fun activities ranging from sporting activities to board games, sip and paint, and karaoke, along with food brought by parishioners to share. The event was a great success and gave birth to it becoming an annual Easter Monday event to this day.

With a desire to build on this, the team that included members of the Family Life Unit, set its sight on a ‘Back in Time’ party in July of the same year. This too was successful, and in like fashion to the Family Day, became an annual parish social event.

The team, now officially known as the Parish Social Team, buoyed by its successes decided, in December 2024, to reintroduce the parish’s Christmas concert.

Along with the social element to this event, the concert also showcased some of the talent within the parish. This turned out to be another successful undertaking. To date the Parish Social Team has put on eight parish events with the ninth, our Back in Time party, scheduled to take place this July.

The team continues to grow and so too its efforts, as planning is underway to engage the three communities of the parish to organise other small-scaled socials. It is hoped that this will become a reality, where ultimately these fundraising social events would contribute to building and strengthening relationships within the communities and parish.

— Story and photos courtesy the Chaguanas Parish Social Team