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A new Portuguese cultural centre is set to open its doors this weekend at the site of a former nightclub on Beresford Street.
The Portugal Sport and Cultural Centre is due to open its doors to the public on Saturday 7 December with a "friendly" event featuring traditional Portuguese music.
This follows a "soft launch" for committee members at the former ROJO site last week.
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.
Pictured: Gilberto Franco and co-founder Duarte Fernandes purchased the former ROJO property earlier this year. (James Jeune)
Mr Franco, who is also managing director of Hampton Estates, said that the ground floor will offer 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 Portuguese Fado music, guitar performances, and dancing.
A karaoke event will take place during the opening day tomorrow, followed by performances from Portuguese singers and Fado music in the evening.
The centre plans to introduce Portuguese and English language lessons during quieter afternoons starting in January.
Pictured: The venue formerly housed the nightclub ROJO which closed at the end of July after nearly two decades of entertaining islanders.
"I felt a central hub was missing," Mr Franco told Express 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.
She said: "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 23:00 but sometimes until 01:00.
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