It's a "hidden gem" of Norwich, where people of all ages head to enjoy sports and socialising.
But just over a decade ago Wensum Sports Centre's future looked considerably less rosy - after Norfolk County Council announced it was shutting the King Street venue.
However, a dedicated and determined group of volunteers campaigned to save the centre which had looked doomed.
The venue - previously known as Wensum Lodge Sports Hall - shut in December 2010 after its owners Norfolk County Council claimed maintenance costs were too expensive to keep it open.
Doug Poynton, now the chair of trustees at Wensum Sports Centre, said: "I was here playing badminton and noticed the county council had put some A3 notices around the place saying it would be closing.
"We had people who used the centre who knew their stuff - we had people who were architects, accountants, technicians.
"We were pretty well versed in what the centre was like and we thought it was just too good to lose."
The Friends of Wensum Lodge held a meeting and it was decided to fight for the centre's survival by forming a group of trustees.
Campaigners ran a petition and used the Freedom of Information Act to challenge figures the council quoted to justify the closure.
Mr Poynton said: "We questioned those figures and used an FOI request and what came back showed it was nothing like what the council had been saying.
"It was obvious to us that the council wanted to bulldoze it so flats could be built here. We knew what we were up against.
"I had meetings with [former county council leader] Cliff Jordan and he said if we came up with a business plan he'd look at it, but I felt he expected us to fail. But I went away and produced a proper plan and they accepted it."
The group was allowed to reopen the centre in 2012 and, in 2017, the council agreed to a 20-year lease.
Volunteers have transformed a venue where corridors were once strewn with rubbish and leaking water formed pools in the sports hall.
The building has been re-roofed at a cost of £150,000, with grant support from Biffa and Sport England, while new air-to-air heat pumps have been installed.
Today, the centre offers badminton, squash, indoor football, table tennis, mixed martial arts, a fitness suite and pickleball - a fast-growing racket sport.
Mr Poynton said: "An enormous amount of work has been done by the volunteers who all came together. They have worked so hard to make this happen."
With charitable status, all the money generated by the centre, including use of its car park by local businesses, is ploughed back into it.
The centre has about 1,300 members, with slots for sessions eagerly booked weeks in advance.
Ryan Sampson started out as a car park attendant at the venue. But he is now the centre's manager, building on the work done by his predecessor Sarah Medler.
He said: "It really is a hidden gem of Norwich. It's the largest venue of its kind in the city centre and we've got a thriving membership."
The management committee, made up of trustees, staff members and volunteers, is looking to install solar panels and replace the sports hall floor - if funding can be secured.
Mr Poynton, who called on councils to offer more assistance to community venues like Wensum Sports Centre, said: "We want to make people aware that they have this gem within their community.
"When you look at all the development which is taking place, where are the facilities being built for them? What we can tell them is that we are here and we'd welcome them."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here