A NEW Portuguese cultural centre has sprung up in the site of a former nightclub on Beresford Street.
The Portugal Sport and Cultural Centre recently opened with a “friendly” event featuring traditional Portuguese music.
The man behind the project, Gilberto Franco, said the new space aims to celebrate Portuguese heritage, bring families together, and provide a welcoming environment for Islanders of all ages and backgrounds.
Mr Franco, who is also managing director of Hampton Estates, said that the ground floor offers food, drink, and televisions that will show Portuguese channels and football matches.
Pool tables for everyone to use can be found upstairs, with the floor serving as a more multi-functional space for hosting sports teams.
Mr Franco said: “This is a place where I want people to come, have reasonably priced food, and enjoy a welcoming environment.
“We want to bring people from different cultures together to celebrate Portuguese heritage and create a family-friendly space where everyone feels comfortable.
“If you are interested in football, you can see matches on large screens in a comfortable setting.”
He explained that the space will host monthly events that feature traditional Portuguese Fado music, guitar performances, and dancing.
The centre plans to introduce Portuguese and English language lessons during quieter afternoons starting in January.
“I felt a central hub was missing,” Mr Franco told the JEP earlier this year. “For years we have felt the community needed somewhere decent to promote the gastronomy, the dances, the culture.
“It has been very difficult to find a suitable premise, but this site came up and I was mad enough to say ‘let’s go for it’, which is a headache because it needs a lot of changing to make it suitable for us.”
Mr Franco, who is from Funchal and moved to the Island 54 years ago as a 23-year-old, added: “There used to be a club [for Portuguese Islanders], but it was very rough, so I want to have a free members card so that if they do not behave then their card will be taken away.
“I want it to be family-friendly.”
Deputy Carina Alves, the Island’s first politician of Portuguese descent, said she welcomed the opening of the centre.
“I am pleased to hear that there will be somewhere for the Portuguese community to celebrate and promote its culture once again, following the closure of the old Portuguese Club hub years ago which left a gap in our community.
“I hope it will also provide an opportunity for greater collaboration with the government, alongside the International Cultural Centre which commissioned ‘Project Luso’, a piece of independent research, conducted by the Jersey Community Relations Trust, into the lived experiences of our local Portuguese community.
“I look forward to seeing the impact the CCPD will have in the community and wish it every success.”
The centre will be open daily, usually until 11pm and on some nights until 1am.
