The New Testament Churches of God are encouraging the community to come out and support "Unite Bermuda", a community-themed weekend being held at the Victor Scott school field the weekend of June 25. It's for families, students and parents and has been advertised in the schools. This is a bold move to counteract the negative publicity that the neighbourhood has received recently.

Latisha Washington, the Youth Directress of the New Testament Churches of God (Youth Christian Education & Recreation Department), says that they hope to encourage and revitalize the area, and this is one of the ways that can happen.

"Youth convention is something that we do annually," she explains, "but it's been inside the church – focusing on our youth. It's one thing to be safe within the four walls, but we want to spill into the streets. When you think about Jesus' ministry, He was in the streets. You have to make things palatable to the community and serve them."

A lot of events are planned over the weekend, starting from the Friday evening. At 7.30 p.m., the opening ceremony will feature local dignitaries (such as Paula Cox) as well as a motivational speaker. The public is encouraged to come out and listen at this event.

On Saturday, starting at 9 am, the main event kicks off with the help of public partners such as the National Training Board, Teen Services, the Women's Resource Centre, Young Life and others. The entry fee is $5, but once inside, all services are free. There will also be food and craft vendors. This is the time to have some fun and to learn more about how to make Bermuda a better place.

"You have to be relevant (to the people) and meet them where they are, both literally and figuratively," says Latisha. "My pastor (Bishop Lloyd Duncan) uses that location to preach, and you can see that the community appreciates it."

With this in mind, activities on Saturday include workshops on single parenting, working with at risk youth and learning sign language. There will also be sport clinics throughout the day - basketball at Parsons Playground, netball at Bernard's Park and soccer right on Victor Scott's field. In the evening there will be a youth talent showcase, so plan to stay all day!

Lastly, on Sunday, June 27, there will be a closing ceremony at 6.30 p.m. featuring a motivational speaker.

"That vicinity has had a lot of negative press, but there is a positive spirit that can dwell there," explains Latisha when asked why that location was chosen. They hope that this will be one of many events that spark the community back into positive action.