Becoming a Civic University
A Proud Part of Portsmouth and the Solent Region
We’re committed to making a difference for individuals and society. Our mission is rooted in creating, sharing, and applying knowledge that sparks positive change across Portsmouth and the wider Solent region.
Our Commitment to Local Communities
At the University of Portsmouth, our dedication extends beyond education. We’re working every day to enhance our communities’ social, cultural, and economic fabric, collaborating with local partners to create initiatives that benefit everyone.
Together, we aim to support health, sustainability, social inclusion, and the local economy. We’re not just the University of Portsmouth — we’re the University 'for' Portsmouth.
Our efforts focus on three main areas:
- Working with Our Communities
We’re continuously building two-way collaborations with local groups, organisations, and partners to nurture positive change. These partnerships aim to address local needs and strengthen our collective efforts, with projects spanning education, healthcare, and social support. - Supporting Our Communities
Our work extends to offering free services that provide direct support, like our Legal Advice Clinic. We're committed to leveraging our expertise to make meaningful contributions to local residents and schools. - Being Present in Our Communities
Each year, staff and students contribute over 140,000 hours to community projects, actively engaging in efforts that help strengthen social bonds and create lasting impact.
Explore Our Projects and Partnerships
Explore the ongoing projects driving positive change across our region. Use the interactive map below to learn more about our collaborations in areas like social impact, health and wellbeing, and economic growth.
Using the map:
Explore our diverse range of projects and their impact on the community through our interactive map. Follow these steps to make the most of your experience:
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Filter Projects: Use the filter toggle located at the bottom of the map to select the project category you're most interested in. Our projects are grouped into five categories: Social Impact, Health & Wellbeing, Environment, and Cultural & Arts and Economic Impact.
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Learn More: Click on any map pin to discover detailed information about specific projects. This includes a brief description, key contacts, and any relevant links for further information.
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Navigate: Use the zoom controls on the left side of the map. This helps you get a better sense of the geographical spread and scale of our initiatives.
Join the Conversation
We’d love to hear from you! If you have a project idea or are involved in initiatives that align with our goals, reach out to us at civicuniversity@port.ac.uk.
How we impact Portsmouth and the local region
We want to be a big part of positive changes in Portsmouth and our surrounding area, working with existing community projects.
Enhancing lives through volunteering
At the University of Portsmouth, our robust volunteering culture is integral to community development. Annually, students and staff contribute over 140,000 hours to 124 local organisations, significantly enhancing our region's social and cultural fabric. Discover more about our volunteering impact and opportunities here, and how we celebrate our student volunteers at our Student Impact Awards.
Supporting our community
We want to make the most of the University’s expertise and experience to provide our local community relevant services, free of charge where possible. You can learn more about our award winning Legal Clinic here, and ‘Brush Up’ projects here.
Partnering with our community
We want to tackle the challenges of our local community by collaborating with other groups and organisations that share our passion for the region. You can read more here about our multi-academy trust, or the partnership we have with King’s College London Medicine to train doctors in Portsmouth.
Growing local business through collaboration
We collaborate with local businesses, organisations and the public sector by offering free support, advice, and services to the local business community. We offer business services to support and grow local businesses, including our Accountancy Clinic, Accelerating Women's Enterprise (AWE) programme, conference and event space, co-working and office space, free energy efficiency audits and funding through. From net zero plans to product redesigns and business model reboots, we can help make your sustainability ideas happen.
Promoting the city of Portsmouth
Portsmouth has unique strengths and a rich heritage. We want to show the world how great this city is. Through partnership work, we aim to champion shared interests, support economic growth and make the city a destination of choice for people to live, work and visit. We've partnered with Portsmouth Football Club to promote our city, increase local participation in higher education, and provide work experience for our students. We're also working to improve our sustainability and become a climate-positive university by 2030.
Upcoming Events: Click Title for More Information
Portsmouth South Coast Business Week 2025 – A week-long celebration of the local business community, featuring free events, networking opportunities, and expert discussions from 24–28 February. The programme includes talks on property, employment law, funding, creativity, and culture, as well as a Business Expo, networking on the Mary Rose, and company tours. The University of Portsmouth is actively involved, hosting legal advice clinics, financial success workshops, and insights into alternative recruitment initiatives.
📍 Find out more & register: portsmouth.southcoastbusinessweek.co.uk
Celebrate reading and creativity at the Portsmouth Public Library Bookfest! Running from 18th February to 19th March, the event will feature a wide range of books and activities for all ages. Follow along on X @pompeybookfest for the latest updates.
We are excited to share details of an upcoming event celebrating International Women’s Day 2025, hosted by Little Kanga Ltd. The event aims to inspire the next generation of female leaders across sport, politics, technology, business, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics).
Date & Time:
Wednesday, 5th March 2025 | 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Location: Portsmouth Marriott Hotel, Southampton Road, Portsmouth, PO6 4SH
Event Highlights:
- Fireside Chat with Olivia Breen, Para-athlete and BBC Cymru Sports Personality of the Year, Amanda Martin MP, and Donna Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner.
- Panel Discussions focusing on leadership in male-dominated industries.
- Networking opportunities with industry leaders and role models.
- Support for The Girls Network: All donations will go to this organisation, which mentors girls from underprivileged backgrounds.
Who Should Attend?
- Women looking for career inspiration
- Young women and girls exploring career paths in STEAM and leadership
- Allies who support gender equality in the workplace
- Education providers, schools, and colleges
Registration:
The event is free to attend, though a voluntary donation to The Girls Network is encouraged to help support their mentorship programs.
This event is organised by Little Kanga Ltd in partnership with University of Portsmouth Business School, STR Recruitment, Desk2Educate, The Girls Network, and more.
Register Now to secure your place at this inspiring event that celebrates the achievements of women and aims to empower future generations!
Part of the Life Solved Live series, this Inaugural Lecture by Professor George Burrows explores how music engages with race, class, gender, and sexuality to shape identity and social values. Covering works from Fats Waller’s London Suite to Handel’s Messiah and Me and My Girl, Professor Burrows reveals how music reflects and influences the politics of its time. The event features live performances from the University of Portsmouth Choir, bringing these themes to life. Life Solved Live showcases world-changing research and celebrates newly promoted professors, offering insight into how academic work impacts society.
Elle is a Clinical Associate Psychologist for Solent NHS Trust. Her research on self-compassion highlights how this misunderstood skill is crucial for health, performance, and relationships. Interventions that raise levels of self-compassion demonstrate improvements in many areas of life, including workplaces, and even elite athlete and footballer performance. Berating ourselves is a natural response to mistakes, but such a response can cause you to miss learning opportunities. The more self-compassionate you are, the faster you recover from failure and take the learning forward. Elle's talk will give an overview of evidence for the intervention, her current research in the application of Mindful Self-Compassion for NHS staff burnout, and an opportunity to try an experiential MSC practice.
Aspire Together is a half-day conference hosted by the Female Entrepreneurs Network (FEN) at the University of Portsmouth, celebrating International Women's Day by supporting and empowering women in business. The event features inspiring speakers, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities to help women entrepreneurs enhance their business skills and connections. Attendees can participate in expert-led workshops on topics such as defining business vision, social media engagement, and securing funding. The event provides a space for female founders, freelancers, and aspiring entrepreneurs to learn, connect, and grow their businesses.
Part of the Life Solved Live series, this Inaugural Lecture event showcases two newly promoted professors sharing how their research tackles major questions in physics and decision-making. Professor Tessa Baker explores how gravitational waves—ripples in spacetime caused by merging black holes—could challenge our understanding of gravity and cosmology. Professor Banu Lokman delves into multi-objective optimisation, a decision-making tool that helps organisations balance competing priorities in fields like healthcare, energy, and logistics. This double-bill lecture offers a unique insight into cutting-edge research that influences both our understanding of the Universe and real-world business challenges.
The Portsmouth City Libraries Tuk Tuk will be bringing wellbeing literature and feel-good fiction to the Feel Good Fest on 13th March. Stop by to explore a range of books aimed at boosting your mood and supporting mental wellbeing. Public Library membership can also be applied for directly through the Tuk Tuk staff, with a member of the library team on hand to assist.
A stunning photography exhibition by University of Portsmouth alumnus and travel photographer Md Abdulla Al Mamun, capturing moments where humans, animals, and nature coexist in urban spaces. Featuring images from Dhaka, London, and Istanbul, the exhibition highlights the delicate balance between city life and the natural world.
📍 Now showing in the University Library until 13 March 2025, with plans to reinstall after Global Week. Open to the public during staffed reception hours with ID.
🎥 Watch the exhibition videos:
📹 About the exhibition (1 min 49 sec): https://youtu.be/JHuWnEkyjVY?si=a_m1WJiJ2lT8ytXO
📹 Short introduction (33 sec): https://youtu.be/ohPHofDSLRA?si=T_BxrglsuOUcuXYp
Global Week is our annual celebration of global culture and international diversity at the University of Portsmouth and within our beautiful city. Stay tuned for more details to come!
Global Week is our annual celebration of culture and diversity at the University and within the city.
This year, Global Week will run from 15 to 23 March 2025; an exciting week-long celebration of cultures with in-person and virtual events.
This Civic Networking Event invites community members, local organisations, and University staff and students to engage in an open conversation about equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Ebi Sosseh, Head of Equity, Wellbeing and Inclusion at the University of Portsmouth, will share updates on the University’s EDI initiatives, including projects like Athena SWAN and ongoing efforts to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment. Attendees will have the opportunity to share their perspectives, experiences, and ideas on fostering a stronger sense of belonging in the University and local community. The event is a chance to connect, listen, and collaborate to make Portsmouth a more equitable and inclusive place for all.
The University of Portsmouth, in collaboration with Making Waves Film Festival, Portsmouth City of Sanctuary (PCoS), and Action Asylum, is hosting a unique Iranian-themed cinematic dining event—an evening of film, food, and culture aimed at fostering community engagement and refugee inclusion.
This fundraising event for Portsmouth City of Sanctuary will feature a screening of the award-winning Iranian film My Favourite Cake, alongside an authentic Persian feast, live traditional Iranian music, and immersive décor inspired by Iranian gardens.
Guests will experience a carefully curated Persian menu prepared by Taarof chefs Soraya Hatami and Damon Hall, with support from Iranian cooks from PCoS' Kitchen of Hope and Action Asylum volunteers. Dishes include:
🍆 Kashk-e Bademjan (Persian aubergine dip)
🍚 Persian jewelled rice
🥘 Gheymeh (slow-cooked stew with split peas)
🌿 Saffron and rose iced tea, lime & mint cordial
Beyond the culinary delights, this event serves as a cultural bridge, bringing people together through storytelling, music, and shared experiences, while raising awareness of the importance of refugee inclusion.
This interactive seminar explores how the Prosocial Matrix, a practical tool rooted in Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT), can help individuals and teams communicate more effectively, navigate challenges, and build stronger relationships. Led by Sue Knight, this session will introduce self-awareness techniques, shared values exploration, and strategies to foster trust and collaboration in workplaces, communities, and personal relationships.
📍 Location: Oasis Centre, Portsmouth
📅 Date: Thursday, 3 April 2025
⏰ Time: 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM (Networking from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
This event is part of the Relational and Restorative Practice Community of Inquiry Group.
CEISR Annual Lecture 2025: ‘What is internalised oppression and why should we care?’ – Join Professor Monica Moreno Figueroa (University of Cambridge) on Wednesday 14 May, 4pm–6pm, as she explores internalised oppression, how it links personal and structural experiences, and its impact on relationships and social hierarchies. The lecture will also introduce The Structure Within, a public campaign addressing these issues.
Dr Lisa Sugiura and Professor Peter Lee from the University of Portsmouth will focus on staff safety and wellbeing in the presence of trauma. Lisa and Pete have both experienced trauma in the course of their work and endeavour to prepare others for the unpredictable and complex responses that
individuals may experience in either work or everyday life. Lisa’s research on online gender-based violence has involved her immersion in deeply misogynistic and discriminatory web spaces, interacting with extremist groups, and supporting victim-survivors of domestic abuse and sexual
violence. Pete has been a military chaplain during war time, undertaken field work with RAF military drone crews as they conducted surveillance and lethal strikes, and surveyed the mental health and wellbeing of police child sex crime investigators. Their aim for this session is to raise awareness of vicarious trauma (whether disclosed or undisclosed) and its impact on staff wellbeing, through the sharing of personal experiences.
Previous Events
A huge thank you to everyone who participated in our workshop on Community Conversations and Restorative Practice! Hosted by the University of Portsmouth's School of Dental, Health and Care Professions, this session explored how meaningful dialogue with community members can shape the training of health and care professionals.
During the session, we shared insights from a recent project where Portsmouth community members engaged with academics to influence the University's approach to educating Health and Social Care Professionals. Using the Restorative Practice continuum, the initiative aimed to build stronger relationships and create spaces for co-production in professional training.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for an engaging and thought-provoking morning exploring the refreshed Civic Strategy and the University’s ongoing commitment to building meaningful community relationships.
We were delighted to welcome Professor Stephen Corbett, Civic Lead and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMS), who provided insights into why civic engagement matters to the University and how we are working to strengthen partnerships with our local community.
On 9th January, we hosted an enlightening seminar led by John Swindell, an experienced trainer and coach in restorative practice. The session focused on the importance of healthy relationships as the foundation for restorative leadership and team building. John highlighted how our Western culture's emphasis on individualism often undermines collaboration and teamwork, leading to significant impacts on productivity, creativity, and well-being. He introduced restorative principles and practices as a simple yet radically different approach to leadership and teamwork, fostering a more collaborative and creative work environment.
The seminar, organised by the Relational and Restorative Practice Community of Inquiry Group, was well-attended by a diverse group of participants, including students, staff, and community members. Attendees left with valuable insights into handling conflict and disagreements, and the importance of embedding restorative principles in their leadership and team practices. We look forward to hosting more events that promote these essential skills and principles.
This was an engaging and thought-provoking event where we celebrate our differences and uniqueness.
On Thursday, 5th December, from 9.15 AM to 11.30 AM, the first session on "Supporting the Emotional Wellbeing of Practitioners" took place at the Oasis Centre, Arundel Street, Portsmouth. This engaging session aimed to support the emotional and social wellbeing of healthcare practitioners and featured a live demonstration of Schwartz Rounds, a reflective practice that allows staff to discuss the emotional and social challenges of providing care.
The key features of Schwartz Rounds included case-oriented discussions where practitioners shared experiences based on a common theme, followed by a facilitated group discussion. The sessions were emotionally focused, providing a safe space to explore the personal impacts of working in healthcare, addressing issues like stress and compassion fatigue. Interdisciplinary sharing was encouraged, fostering broader understanding and empathy among participants from various healthcare disciplines. The supportive environment aimed to enhance communication, team cohesion, and personal well-being through open and honest dialogue.
For more details about Schwartz Rounds, attendees were directed to visit The Point of Care Foundation website.
On Thursday, 28th November, from 10am to 12pm, the Civic Networking Event on "The Importance of Partnerships in Research" took place at the LRC, Park Building. Nikki Fairchild delivered a presentation highlighting the crucial role of partnerships in research projects. She discussed building relationships, engaging key stakeholders, and creating impactful collaboration opportunities. The event also covered the Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC), a joint initiative by Portsmouth City Council, HIVE Portsmouth, and the University of Portsmouth, funded by the National Institute for Health Research.
Attendees learned about impactful research collaborations, gained insights into local health challenges, explored opportunities for involvement in community-based research and public health interventions, and networked with colleagues and stakeholders from various disciplines.
The HDRC focuses on improving health outcomes for disadvantaged local residents through exploratory research and community engagement. One of the key projects during the development year involved understanding the impact of social inequality on language and communication development in early years.
The event featured a presentation by Nikki on the importance of research partnerships, insights into the HDRC and its impact on local health, opportunities for collaboration and networking, and refreshments including coffee and cake.
This inspiring event highlights the ground breaking journey of Shakar Jafari, founder of TrueInvivo, a revolutionary MedTech company advancing cancer treatment technology. Hosted at the University of Portsmouth, it celebrates women's achievements in STEM, resilience, and innovation. The event includes keynote speeches, a panel discussion, and a networking session, showcasing Shakar's journey from refugee to receiving the prestigious Purple Plaque from Innovate UK.
Collaborate with us
If you're brimming with ideas for civic projects or eager to share the impactful activities you're already championing, we encourage you to send us an email. Every contribution you make is a an essential part of the change we're creating as a community.
Let us know about your ongoing civic work as a current member of staff, student, or another part of the University community, or reach out to us with a new project idea.
And if you're not officially part of our community yet but are drawn to civic collaboration, we warmly welcome your interest. Whether you're a part of our existing University community or you're looking to working with us for the first time, your unique perspective and active involvement will help us develop our future.
If you're also interested in keeping up to date on the civic networking events, please email sue.knight@port.ac.uk.
Civic news and projects
Student Impact Awards
We're recognising the civic achievements of our students and alumni and their positive contributions to our local region and the world. Explore our award categories, find out about the prestigious awards evening, or nominate a student.
New Govt-backed partnership to support local authority services in Portsmouth
£320,000 in funding will be used to develop a new way to measure and understand the impact of public health initiatives.
Sellout Stargazing event brings hundreds to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
The University of Portsmouth has hosted its annual stargazing event at the Historic Dockyard.
Portsmouth to receive £5m investment into health research
The research generated will focus on the building blocks of health, for example, factors such as housing, education, air quality and access to green spaces, which impact on the health and wellbeing of communities.
Capturing 125 years of PFC: University hosts special exhibition to celebrate anniversary
A photography exhibition will open to the public this month to mark 125 years of Portsmouth Football Club, which includes beloved images captured by a late fan.
Relational and Restorative Practice conference valuable opportunity to support the University of Portsmouth’s civic agenda
Supporting the understanding and growth of restorative practice in Portsmouth
