Chichester Gala returns to Priory Park for day of community fun

It will build on the success of last year’s Platinum Jubilee event, bringing together the community of Chichester and neighbouring areas. The day will give an opportunity for charities and community groups to promote themselves whilst raising funds for their cause. Along with some commercial stalls selling their wares there will be entertainment, a barbecue, tea tent and lots of other activities to keep the family amused. Hundreds of people are expected throughout the day starting at 10am.

Long-serving Chichester city councillor and former Mayor of Chichester Anne Scicluna said: “For many years Chichester held a Gala Day at the beginning of July, and this is remembered with fondness by a large number of local people. It’s a lovely way in which to bring our local people together in a happy and friendly atmosphere and is a real community event. Last year, in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the City Council ran a Gala in Priory Park, and this was a great success and very much enjoyed by a huge number of people. The City Council decided that in honour of our King’s coronation, and understanding that on the coronation weekend there were numerous street parties, a new gala would take place on the historic original gala date bringing our local people together in a real community day.”

For new Chichester town clerk Sam Tate, it will be her first big Chichester event since taking office: “The city council is the smallest unit of local government and we are the unit that is closest to the people. We are there to support and represent the community but community doesn't happen by accident. It happens when people have the opportunity to come together and meet and have fun and talk and just be together. Events like the Gala help us to build on that sense of community and it really is all about community. It is about making people feel that they are represented and seen and I think the joy of the Gala is that usually when we speak to people it's because there is something that has gone wrong and you can therefore get a bit of a skewed picture of what people need and how they are feeling. So it can be so valuable just to talk to people at something like this in a much more informal way.” There will be stalls from lots of community organisations including tombolas, lucky dips and games for children. Providing the entertainment will be The Superstrings Trio, plus the Arabesque School Of Performing Arts, the Selsey Shantymen and various other groups, running from 10am to 5pm. There will also be fun fair attractions.

“We will see how well it is attended and the feedback that we get. It's very difficult when you have a new council to know which way they will go but I would hope that this would continue next year. Whether it does or not will be a council decision but I would like to think that it will. It's important for the community and important for the city and when you think of financial pressures on families at the moment, it's lovely to be able to offer something for them that won't break the bank. It is free to attend and it will be all done by 5pm.”

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