A Southampton community rallied together over the weekend to unite the neighbourhood in the spirit of togetherness.

About 150 people from the neighbourhood and across the island gathered at Times Like This, a street-wide party at Horseshoe Road.

Neighbours pitched in food and drinks for the event, which culminated in two people receiving donations pooled by residents.

Shawn Simon, who organised the gathering, said: “I could have picked about 20 people but it came down to two people whom I really thought could use it this year.”

Mr Simon and his cohost, Gerri Saltus, provided one of their neighbours with help to take care of medical bills.

They also gave another neighbour, Carol Parfitt, and her family a $500 donation after she suffered the loss of her daughter and two grandchildren.

Nicole Parfitt, 39, died, along with her two children, Na-Vii Trimm-Parfitt, 4, and Drae-E Trimm-Parfitt, 9, in an incident at South Terrace, Pembroke, last year.

Ms Parfitt, who moved to the neighbourhood in the 1980s, said she was “overwhelmed” by the generosity.

She added: “I had no idea this was happening. I started to choke up.

“I always say this neighbourhood has shown me a lot of respect and has shown me that we can make it as a neighbourhood.”

Mr Simon, who grew up in the Horseshoe Road area, said that he had hosted four of the block parties over the past few years.

He said he started it in honour of Stephen “Kibbles” Landy, a close friend and reggae DJ.

Young and old came together in Southampton to celebrate the life of Mr Landy after he died, aged 55, in 2022.

Mr Simon said this weekend: “He always said, ‘If I ever go, I want you to block the road off for me, have a party and let everyone come to it’.”

He added: “This was his dream. I’m just honouring it.

“It started from that and it’s just been escalating from that.”

All food and drinks at the event were free and a game of cricket was held in the parking lot of the Southampton Rangers Sports Club.

Children were also treated to face painting and a fun castle.

Mr Simon said these types of events reflected how much the Southampton community looked out for each other.

He added that, following a week that involved a horrific act of violence in Hamilton, the public needed something to help them feel safe and joyful.

“This is the one day that people can come out and not have to worry about being shot at,” Mr Simon said.

“It’s the one day of the year that people can come outside and leave their children and not have to worry about anything.”

Mr Saltus agreed that Bermuda needed a community bonding event “now more than ever”.

He said: “I think, back in the past, communities were strong, so we didn’t have a lot of the [violence] that we have now.

“So now, with us trying to bring it back, that’s a sign of us saying that we’re tired of everything that’s happening in Bermuda and we want to bring the community back and let everybody know that this is our home and it’s safe.”

Mr Saltus, who also grew up in the neighbourhood, admitted that Horseshoe Road had been plagued by gun violence for “some time”.

However, He added that he and his neighbours “refuse to back down”.

Mr Saltus said: “We want to show people this is a positive area. We have a great community that wants to help and get rid of all that nonsense.”

The pair later put up a tribute banner for people to write the names of loved ones who had died.

Wanton Woodley, 31, said that Times Like This brought out everyone from all “points” of the neighbourhood.

He said that the party captured the community’s spirit and hoped that other parishes could do something similar.

Mr Woodley added: “This brings out everybody — children, grandmothers, grandfathers.

“Everybody’s feeling comfortable, everybody’s chilling out and it gives you a time to know who’s really who in the area.

“In days like this, everybody gets out.”

Shanika Parfitt, 52, said that she remembered moving into the neighbourhood with her mother, Carol Parfitt.

She added that, although she now lived in St George’s, she always recognised Horseshoe Road as her first home.

Ms Parfitt said: “When we were in our lowest, darkest trauma, it was this neighbourhood that actually lifted us up.

“They come and serve families when they are in need and in grief, at their highest and their lowest.”