Befriending Service

If you enjoy playing Mah Jong or would like to learn whilst meeting new people, drop-in to our friendly group. We recommend you ring the library first to check the club is running that week.

A friendly social group for people over 50

Every Friday

Set up over 40 years ago the Needlework and Handcraft Group at Cosham Community Centre started life at Cosham Park House, the mid-nineteenth century listed building which is now a doctor's surgery.

The group meet every Tuesday and Friday morning at the Community Centre in Wooton Street and offers a variety of crafts including patchwork, applique, beadwork, cross-stitch, knitting, embroidery, crochet and all forms of paper craft.

wednesday 12:30pm-2:30pm
Attention all seniors looking for a way to liven up their Wednesdays! We have just the thing for you! Imagine spending your afternoons surrounded by new friends, singing along to classic tunes, enjoying your favorite movies, playing fun and engaging games, and even embarking on exciting outings!

Join us for our weekly event designed specifically for seniors like you, where you'll have the opportunity to build new friendships, share your experiences, and create lasting memories with like-minded individuals. And the best part? We'll even provide refreshments to keep you fueled and energized throughout the day!

So why spend another Wednesday alone when you can join us for a fun-filled afternoon of laughter, entertainment, and socializing? We can't wait to welcome you into our community of seniors and provide you with the support and companionship you deserve. We hope to see you soon!

Friendship Club for the over 60's

Wednesdays 12pm to 3pm

Swimming at Charter Community Sports Centre

Charge : £2.10

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.

Joining a reading group is a great way to meet new people, try new authors and books and share your feedback.

There are a number of groups that you can join that are run by the Library and Archive Service both in and outside of libraries. There is sometimes a waiting list to join the groups but we will let you know when a space becomes available if you tell us which group/s you are interested in joining.

We can also support you in setting up your own reading group. The Library and Archive Service supports independent reading groups that meet in community locations or in peoples' homes by providing free book sets of up to 15 copies on a regular basis.

Take a look at our selection of reading group sets here:

https://librariesandarchives.portsmouth.gov.uk/public-library-service/whats-on/reading-groups/

If you'd like to ask about availability in one of the Library run groups or would like to find out more about setting up your own group email reading.groups@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

If you enjoy playing Rummikub or would like to learn as you meet new people, drop-in to our friendly group. We recommend you ring the library first to check the club is running that week.

If you enjoy playing scrabble and meeting new people, drop-in to one of our Scrabble Clubs. We recommend you ring the library first to check the club is running that week.

Southsea Sangha is an independent peer led dharma meditation community, based in the heart of Southsea, founded in 2014.

Founded in 2014 by Daniel Sutton-Johanson, with the help of local practitioners, Southsea Sangha is passionate about inclusive community building, around the intersections of meditation, dharma, social justice and collective freedom. We are committed to what bell hooks named as “Spirit, Struggle, Service & Love”, values the Buddha also taught to motivate progressive and compassionate social change. A key driver for our community is to broaden access to spiritual community practice and therefore, a principle tenet of our community has and continues to be, that of a generosity ethic. This allows us to disrupt, and where possible, remove the transactional barriers many folks face when wishing to explore personal wellbeing and healing work within spiritual practices and wisdom traditions that acknowledge the social and political contexts in which we encounter them.

Our programs offer wisdom teachings and practices from pan-Buddhist lineages right across to secular mindfulness and are freely offered. We offer day long retreats, weekly online classes and in-person practice groups to a diverse community who wish to explore, begin or expand a personal dharma practice informed by mindfulness, compassion, kindness, wisdom and generosity. You don’t need to be Buddhist to meditate or to just come hang with us and others at Sangha. You are very welcome just as you are. Bring it all.

All our regular groups and classes are freely offered with no advance booking needed.

We exist to serve our community, both locally and online.