Cultural Groups

Portsmouth Chinese Association was founded in 1980.

The association was formed with the aims of uniting the local Chinese community and strengthening their bonds, helping and supporting each other, promoting and upholding Chinese culture and education, organizing healthy social activities and leisure, promoting friendship and harmony among all communities, and promoting the benefit of the inhabitants of Portsmouth City.

At present there are 21 executive committee members and more than 400 members of the association. Portsmouth Chinese Association has been running Chinese Sunday School, Elders Lunch Club and Chinese traditional Dancing Club.

We create and foster unity amongst Gambians and non Gambians in Portsmouth and its surroundings.

Services include interpreting from English to Gambian local dialect, and Providing emotional support.

The Portsmouth Hispanic Society offers presentations and discussions on a wide and eclectic range of Hispanic topics. These meetings are normally held at Fratton Community Centre - see website for more details.

The Society also offers inexpensive Spanish language lessons at a variety of levels. Some lessons are currently delivered over Zoom, and others face to face at a venue in Portsmouth. See the Society's website for details and charges.

The Inter Faith Network for the UK works to promote understanding, cooperation and good relations between organisations and persons of different faiths in the UK.

We are friendly private members club, and are situated in Elm Grove Southsea. The club is run by the committee, all of whom have been nominated by the members of the club. We first opened in 1949 and were originally located within St Joseph’s church hall and later moved to Fratton Trade Club by Fratton Bridge. We moved to this current location in 1973.

We are a short taxi ride from any of the city’s three main rail stations or the Isle of Wight and Gosport Ferries. The club employs 5 regular bar staff and has approximately 600 members who are able to enjoy the friendly relaxed atmosphere and regular entertainment such as Live music every week and Irish dancing. We are also a member of Irish in Britain.

The facilities include a large function hall with its own bar and has over the years hosted numerous events and functions, pool, darts and table football.

We are representative of Pakistani expats living in Portsmouth and their surroundings, we organise our cultural and social events and provide an atmosphere so families can feel like at home.

We work with families living in isolation and help them to overcome mental health issues or family problems. We support them socially, and mentally and sometimes find work for them so they can look after themselves. We focus on our children's education so they can do their best in their lives.
Our motto is UNITY, FAITH, DISCIPLINE AND VALUES.

Portsmouth Philosophy Book Club: Want to discuss and politely debate numerous issues? We often read articles from Philosophy Now magazine and discuss these.

We meet once a month. Free of charge. The Club has been running for 15 years. We have a new venue, Wetherspoons, The Lord Palmerston, Southsea. Email for more information and to say you'll be coming.

The group guidelines are:

1.Come with an open mind. Prepare to have your own thoughts challenged, and possibly changed, as opposed to wanting to be "right" and change other's minds. We encourage listening as well as talking.

2. Keep speaking to no longer than 2 minutes, at a time, so everyone can have a say.

3. We welcome respectful debate, as well as politely critical discussion. 4. It's surprisingly sociable and good fun at times, even when we disagree.

Age range: 3-18 years old
Type of Classes: Mandarin Fun class (3-5 years old) , Pinyin class (5 years old), Level 1-10, Pre-GCSE, GCSE, A level , HSK 5

Type of teaching : Face to face teaching in the classroom.

Portsmouth Chinese School is part of the Portsmouth Chinese Association (PCA) which is a registered charity organisation. The school was founded in 1980 and has provided opportunities for many generations of local Chinese Children to learn, read and write the language. Students aged between 3 - 18 are taught at various levels depending on their standard.

In recent years we have extended our services. Headteacher Renee Lu welcome children of any ethnic origin who are interested in Chinese Language join our school.

The Drayton Centre has been at the centre of Social and Leisure activities in the Drayton and Farlington area since 1920.