Activities & Experiences in Poole

Branksome Chine Surf Life Saving Club is a volunteer-led lifesaving and water sports club based at Branksome Chine Beach in Poole. The club provides beach safety education, first aid, rescue training and competitive surf lifesaving for children, teenagers and adults. Members train throughout the year using a mixture of sea, beach and indoor activities, while qualified volunteers also support local beach patrols and promote water safety across the Bournemouth and Poole coastline.

Dolphin Indoor Bowling Club is a large members’ bowls club located near Albany Business Park in Poole. Its facilities include 11 championship-standard indoor bowling rinks, giving members opportunities to enjoy casual bowls, club leagues, competitions and year-round social activities. With approximately 1,000 members, free introductory sessions and equipment supplied for organised taster events, the club welcomes experienced bowlers and complete beginners interested in trying indoor bowls in Poole.

Girlguiding Poole provides weekly groups, activities and adventures for girls and young women aged four to 18. Local Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers meet across Poole, including Parkstone, Canford Heath, Branksome and Wallisdown. Led by trained volunteers, sessions help members build confidence, friendships and practical skills through games, crafts, outdoor activities, badges, community projects, camps and trips. Families can search for nearby units and register their interest through Girlguiding’s official website.

InSpire Daytime Voices is a friendly, non-auditioned community choir for adults meeting on Tuesday mornings in Poole town centre. Run by Poole and Parkstone Productions, the choir welcomes experienced singers and complete beginners, with no requirement to read music. Members sing a varied repertoire covering pop, jazz, folk and classical music, with optional opportunities to perform at concerts and community events. New members can attend their first rehearsal free of charge.

Just Sing Contemporary Choir is a friendly adult community choir meeting weekly at Magna Academy in Poole. Open to anyone aged 18 and above, the choir requires no audition, previous singing experience or ability to read sheet music. Members sing contemporary music across a range of styles, take part in optional performances and enjoy a relaxed, sociable atmosphere. The first taster session is free, making it easy for new singers to try the choir before joining.

Luminos Community Choir is a friendly mixed choir meeting on Monday evenings at Bournemouth and Poole College’s North Road site. Open to adults who enjoy singing, the choir performs an varied repertoire including pop, folk, jazz and musical theatre, with songs taught by ear so members do not need to read music. There are no auditions, although the choir currently operates a waiting list and generally welcomes new singers each September.

Parkstone Yacht Club is a sailing club based beside Poole Harbour in Parkstone, offering dinghy and yacht racing, cruising, youth sailing and training. Its extensive programme caters for experienced sailors, competitive racers and younger members developing their skills on the water. The club also provides marina, mooring and boatyard facilities, alongside a waterfront clubhouse with dining, social events and views across the harbour.

Poole Amateur Rowing Club offers recreational and competitive rowing from its waterside base near Poole Quay. Established in 1873, it describes itself as Poole’s oldest sports club and aims to make rowing financially accessible to the local community. Newcomers can arrange a free introductory session, making the club suitable for people interested in trying rowing before deciding whether to join.

Poole and Parkstone Productions, commonly known as P&P, is a long-established performing arts society offering musical theatre, choirs and drama in Poole. With more than 150 members, the group stages major musicals, plays, concerts and community performances at venues including Lighthouse Poole and The Spire. Adults can join its auditioned performance sections or the non-auditioned InSpire Daytime Voices choir, while volunteers are also welcomed for backstage, technical, costume and production roles.

Poole Communities Trust is a registered charity supporting residents across Branksome, Bourne and Turlin Moor. The organisation runs community centres, affordable activities, youth sessions, family events, cafés, food stores and local support services designed to help people connect, learn and stay active. It also works with residents to develop community-led projects, making it an important source of practical support, social opportunities and low-cost activities in Poole.

Poole District Scouts provides Scouting activities for children, teenagers and young adults across Poole. Local groups offer Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorer Scouts and Scout Network, helping members build confidence, friendships and practical skills through games, outdoor adventures, camping, community projects and badge work. Groups meet in neighbourhoods including Hamworthy, Lilliput, Parkstone, Broadstone, Branksome and Canford Heath, although some sections operate waiting lists.

Poole Hockey Club is an inclusive field hockey club based at Ashdown Leisure Centre in Canford Heath. Founded in 1893, it offers competitive and social hockey for more than 150 members aged from five to over 70. The club runs men’s and women’s teams, junior coaching, league matches and social activities, welcoming experienced players, complete beginners and people returning to hockey after a break.

Poole Men’s Shed is a friendly workshop and social group based at the Limelights Centre in Canford Heath. The registered charity gives local people, particularly men, a welcoming place to meet, share practical skills and work on personal or community projects. Members can enjoy woodworking, making and repairing items, organised activities and informal conversation, helping people stay active, build friendships and reduce loneliness or social isolation in Poole.

Poole Netball Club is a performance-focused netball club providing coaching and competitive opportunities for girls aged six and above, with a structured pathway from Mini Stars through to senior netball. The Silver CAPS-accredited club offers small squad sizes, year-round indoor training and dedicated coaching designed to help players develop their skills and progress towards regional, national, academy and elite-level competition.

Poole Park Bowling Club is a friendly lawn bowls club set beside the lake in Poole Park. Open to experienced players, complete beginners and members of the public, the club offers social and competitive outdoor bowls, short mat bowls, coaching and free seasonal taster sessions. Visitors can hire equipment and receive tuition, while members can take part in leagues, competitions, friendly matches and social activities from one of Poole’s most scenic sporting locations.

Poole Runners is a friendly running and athletics club welcoming beginners, experienced runners and junior athletes. The club offers social runs, road running, track and field, speed sessions, cross-country and longer-distance training. Its main adult club night takes place in Broadstone, with additional sessions held around Poole and at Ashdown Track. Beginners can also look out for the club’s seasonal Couch to 5K programme.

Poole Town FC Wessex is an England Football Accredited youth football club providing coaching and competitive football for children from Reception age through to under-18 level. Officially affiliated with Poole Town FC, the club runs boys’, girls’ and mixed teams alongside dedicated Ability Counts football. With more than 300 players across 23 teams, it offers a clear development pathway from beginner sessions to youth leagues and potentially Poole Town’s adult teams.

Poole Town Ladies FC is an established women’s football club offering competitive senior and development-team football in Poole. Originally founded during the 1980s, the club welcomes experienced players, women returning to football and newcomers looking for a fresh challenge. Its first team competes at regional level, while the development side provides a pathway into senior football, supported by links with Poole Town FC Wessex for younger female players progressing through the game.

Poole Town Youth Football Club is a family-friendly grassroots football club offering mixed and girls-only teams for children and teenagers aged six to 18. Established in 1984, the Dorset FA-affiliated club provides qualified coaching, regular training and competitive matches in local youth leagues. Younger children can also begin through its Little Fins sessions, making it a suitable Poole football club for beginners as well as developing players seeking structured team football.

Poole u3a is a large learning and social organisation for people who are no longer in full-time employment. Based at The Spire in Poole town centre, it has more than 900 members and offers over 80 informal classes alongside walks, talks, day trips and social activities. Members can explore interests ranging from languages and history to music, fitness, crafts and technology, while meeting new people in a relaxed, supportive environment with no exams or qualifications.

Poole Yacht Club is a sailing and boating club based on the Hamworthy shoreline of Poole Harbour. The club welcomes new members throughout the year and provides opportunities for yacht cruising, racing, dinghy sailing and watersports training for adults and younger sailors. Members can also access marina berths, swinging moorings, boat storage and maintenance services, alongside a waterfront clubhouse and an active social programme.

The Quayside Choir is a friendly mixed community choir serving Poole, Broadstone and the surrounding area. Formerly known as Barclays House Choir, the group rehearses weekly and performs a varied repertoire spanning classical music, musical theatre, opera, film, traditional songs and sacred works. New singers are welcome to attend a rehearsal before joining, making it a suitable local choir for adults who enjoy group singing, live performances and meeting people through music.