Portsmouth City Council has expanded its winter community programme with a schedule of free and low‑cost family activities at Southsea Library (19–21 Palmerston Road, Southsea, PO5 3QQ) for February 2026, aimed at supporting local families during the February half‑term and the cold months.
The updated programme includes a new event, My Future Fest, on 18 February 2026 — a free skills and careers event bringing jobs, training and guidance into the city. Southsea Library will also run regular family sessions through the month, including Rhyme Time and Story Time, craft workshops and other activities. (Some specialised sessions such as the “Build It” Lego Club are scheduled at other branches — for example, the Build It Lego Club is listed for Carnegie Library.)
The council has described the library as a “community living room,” positioning it as a warm, social space where people can meet without the pressure to spend. The events form part of the city’s broader Cost of Living and warm‑space work to give families affordable options while schools are out.
Cllr Lee Hunt, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Leisure and Sport, said the programme aims to ensure no family is “priced out” of spending quality time together during the winter (paraphrased from council communications). The Portsmouth Public Library Service is working with HIVE Portsmouth to support volunteering for the programme and help deliver community sessions.
Most activities focus on the school half‑term week commencing 16 February 2026. Full details and the calendar of events — including booking and session times where required — are available on the Portsmouth City Council libraries pages and the Public Library Service “What’s On” guide.
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