Pompey Games

The Pompey Games take over the Mountbatten Leisure Centre on Saturday 12 September, from 11:00. It's the first event of its kind, put on by Seekers Create and BH Live as part of Portsmouth 100, the city council's year-long programme marking the centenary of Portsmouth being granted city status.

They're framing it as a free day of family fun that leans on nostalgia. The plan is to turn the centre inside and out into a massive, interactive community playground, with giant chalk drawings, classic playground games, party dances and singing at the top of your lungs. It's designed for families to work through together, and the activities run across the centre's indoor and outdoor zones, weather permitting.

The day follows a series of themed group exercise classes run by BH Live's community sports team, like 'Aqua 100' at Mountbatten and 'Badminton 100' at Wimbledon Park Sports Centre, which drew hundreds of participants and kept the focus on inclusivity and accessibility. That same thread runs through the Games, too — it's about getting people moving and having a go, rather than competing for a trophy.

BH Live is a registered charity and social enterprise that runs health and wellbeing facilities across the city on behalf of Portsmouth City Council, and they do more than just the public classes. They run specialist sessions for people living with conditions like COPD, Parkinson's and post-stroke rehab, so the community focus here isn't just a tagline. The Pompey Games is the inaugural event in this particular series, and it's 100% free, though you do need to register in advance and spaces are limited. It starts at 11:00 at the Mountbatten Centre, Alex Way, Hilsea, PO2 9QA.