Østfjendshallen hosts everything from sports and communal dining to meetings and social activities year-round. Around 1500-1600 users visit the hall each year. The hall is used by sports clubs, schools, seniors, and citizens with disabilities. There is room for everything from handball, football, and badminton to archery, which is being worked on to start up, parties, and the community 'Spiseklubben', where singles over 60 meet for a shared meal.

– We want to create a place with room for everyone, where everyone feels welcome. The hall should not only be for those who play handball or football, says hall manager Frank Mikkelsen.

In the autumn, a new multi-hall of 670 square meters was inaugurated. It provides space for a wide range of sports activities and is also designed to be used for lectures, meetings, and other communal events. The hall's kitchen has also been expanded and renovated with great help from volunteers in the town. Now the focus is on the next project: a foyer that will be a meeting place for everyone.

– Everyone who doesn't play sports should also have a place to meet. Therefore, we want to design a foyer that invites people to come inside, meet others, and stay awhile. It should be an informal place where you can be with others and feel that you belong, says Frank Mikkelsen.

Volunteers have also contributed to the hall now having a modern fitness center and a spinning department.

– The idea of a fitness center came from my old school teacher, Lita. She thought the hall should have a gym when the neighboring town's fitness center closed, and she therefore lacked a place to train, says Frank Mikkelsen, greeting Lita, who is on her way to today's training.

The project, which has a total budget of around 1.2 million DKK, is expected to start in the autumn. Fonden Sol og Strand, represented by Margit and Kjeld, has donated 35,000 DKK to the new foyer, and the project has also received support from the Local and Community Fund, Norlys Growth Fund, and Viborg Municipality.

– As a smaller rural town, we are often challenged in securing the necessary funding. Therefore, it is of great importance that we have received support from multiple sources and that there is backing from volunteers to help, says Frank Mikkelsen.

The new foyer will be designed with a focus on both community and accessibility. This includes the installation of automatic door openers, new energy-efficient doors and windows, improved lighting, and an upgrade of the hall's wheelchair lift, so everyone has easier access to the facilities.

The foyer project is the latest stage in the development that has made Østfjendshallen much more than just a sports hall in recent years. Frank Mikkelsen is already dreaming of the next step - including a renovation of the hall's changing rooms. For him, development is about much more than bricks and new facilities.

– When people meet across ages and interests, strong local communities are created. Østfjendshallen is a good example of a place where volunteerism, engagement, and community go hand in hand, he says.