Sports clubs banished from Duston for more than a decade have been flocking back since the opening of its sports centre, managers say.
The former British Timken Sports and Social Club in Duston, Northampton, played host to numerous sports teams from martial arts to bowls.
But the site closed in 2001 and, along with the Timken jobs, the sporting heart of the community was ripped out.
But the new Duston Sports Centre, which is overseen by Duston Council, has seen many of them back in the area for the first time for 11 years.
At an open day to celebrate the new centre on Saturday, Lawrence Kay, sport and play development manager at Northampton Leisure Trust, said: “When Timken closed the clubs that survived became nomadic and people were having to travel as far away as the Carlsberg Social Club in Far Cotton just to keep things going.
“None of it was about Duston any more.
“Since we opened in September, aikido, karate and judo are all back here and we’re starting to see numbers increase. It really feels like Duston is bringing its clubs back home.”
The bowls club will return by summer 2013 when the old green to the side of the leisure centre is restored.
And the Duston Dynamos and Duston Falcons teams have also come back to the area, playing on two football pitches at the back of the building.
Aside from the teams, the main purpose of the leisure centre is to promote fitness of people in the area it serves. It is now putting on fun fitness classes for children aged as young as four, including freestyle disco, street dance and cheerleading, basketball and football.
Mr Kay said: “There has been a demand from parents to put on activities for the younger children.
“It has been a problem for quite a few who weren’t able to use different classes as a family because there was something for the older child but nothing for their youngest so we’ve lowered the age range.
“It makes it as easy as possible for parents to stay fit and gets the children used to being healthy from a young age.”
Duston Sports Centre offers a multi-activity sports hall including badminton, football, basketball, children’s activities, fitness
classes, holiday activities and playschemes.
There is a fully-equipped gym with the latest Cybex Fitness equipment, personal trainers, functional training equipment and a free weights area.
It also boasts a multi-activity dance studio offering a varied programme of more than 30 fitness and aerobic classes including zumba, body combat, body attack and yoga. There is also a bar and function room catering for parties, celebrations and an open bar.
The centre is part of the Trilogy group and as a member of Duston you will be able to access the swimming pools and facilities at Lings Danes Camp and Mounts gyms and free access to the Lings Forum cinema. For more information on the centre, visit www.nleisure.co.uk or call Northampton 83760.
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