Dedicated to Community, Culture, and Service in Malta

Comprehensive Overview

Għaqda Festa Esterna Madonna Ta’ Lourdes San Ġwann is a legally registered voluntary organisation in Malta, operating under registration number VO/1980. Headquartered at Villa Bighi, Dawret Fra Giovanni Bichi, Il-Kalkara, Kalkara KKR 1320, Malta, our committee and volunteer network work tirelessly to organise cultural celebrations, social initiatives, and civic engagement campaigns.

Founded on the principles of fellowship and community service, our organisation serves as the backbone of external cultural festivities and community enrichment in San Ġwann. We collaborate with local authorities, parish councils, youth centres, and civic leaders to create engaging, safe, and meaningful experiences for families and visitors alike.

Our History & Heritage

The external feast of the Madonna Ta’ Lourdes has long been one of the defining moments of the community calendar. What began as a small group of neighbours preparing street decorations by hand grew, decade after decade, into a structured voluntary organisation with dedicated teams for design, carpentry, gilding, electrical installation, logistics, youth formation and welfare outreach.

Each generation has added to the inheritance it received. Elder craftsmen taught apprentices how to restore and repaint statues, how to build and balance ornamental street pedestals, and how to install festive illumination safely. Younger members brought project management, digital documentation and social media, so that techniques once carried only by memory are now recorded, catalogued and taught.

That continuity is the heart of our heritage work. Restoring an artefact is not only a conservation task; it is a way of keeping a community's shared memory alive and accessible to families who have recently made San Ġwann their home.

Community Development & Civic Engagement

Our activity extends well beyond the feast week. Throughout the year our volunteers run skills workshops, assist elderly residents, take part in locality cleanups, and coordinate with civic bodies on public space improvements. We hold planning meetings open to members, publish activity reports, and consult residents and businesses on the streets affected by our installations.

We deliberately design our programmes to be inclusive: activities are free or low-cost, children and young people participate under supervised safeguarding arrangements, and every resident of San Ġwann and neighbouring localities is welcome regardless of background, nationality or means.

Leadership & Governance Integrity

Our committee comprises dedicated community leaders who serve voluntarily. We maintain strict compliance with the Office of the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations in Malta. Every programme we execute is driven by our operational code of conduct, ensuring complete transparency, community safety, and responsible management of resources.

Committee members are elected at the Annual General Meeting, serve without remuneration, and are bound by conflict-of-interest declarations. Financial decisions above defined thresholds require dual approval, and all accounts are prepared annually in line with our statutory obligations under the Voluntary Organisations Act. Formal enquiries about our governance may be addressed to info@madonnalourdesmalta.org or +35623602300.