There can't be many adult education colleges in the country that have survived without funding for more than a decade, but against all the odds, the Bristol Folk House seems to have done just that since its city council funding was removed in 1995.

In fact, as I wander around the 1960s building, set back in a peaceful cranny behind the bustle of Park Street, the place seems to be thriving.

Everywhere you look there is activity. The cafe is busy serving lunches and coffees as fast as they can produce them. The courtyard is packed with Folk House regulars, enjoying the spring sunshine.

On the other side of the building, the main hall is filled with a Zen-like calm, as two-dozen ladies work on their yoga moves, while upstairs one of the classroom spaces is playing host to its weekly arts class.

The 1964 building may be looking a bit shabby around the edges currently, but last year the Trust that runs the Folk House was able to scrape together £20,000 for a new roof, and work is about to start on a £10,000 project to decorate and refurbish the interior of the building.

Bristol Folk House has a proud history. It started life as a Baptist movement college in the 1870s, based in the docks and serving the city's dockers – offering them the opportunity to extend their education.

The organisation later found a home next door to Bristol Central Library in College Green, before finally arriving at its purpose-built centre off Park Street in 1964.

But things started going sour in the 1990s, as Graham Knight, secretary to the trustees, tells me as he takes a break from his work in the sun-soaked courtyard.

"It was the Thatcher Government in the late 1980s, that first started to turn against organisations like the Folk House, which offered adult education based on pleasure rather than career development," he says.

"They accused us of being the sort of centre that teaches flower arranging – though incidentally, that is one of the few things we have never taught.

"By 1995, when the city council finally removed our funding altogether, this kind of left-leaning organisation was very much out of fashion in national and local government circles.

"It was a desperate time for us, and we came very close to closing the centre down.

"But then a group of us decided to set up a charitable trust to look after the building, and a separate co-operative to look after the management of the courses.

"It's been hard work, but we've gradually seen the Folk House's popularity grow and grow, and now we're busier than ever."

This summer's refurbishment though is well over-due, according to the Folk House manager, Claudia Ascott.

"When you look at the orange and purple decor, you have to wonder whether some of the classrooms and public spaces have been painted at all since the early 1970s," she says.

"We've held a series of fundraising events to get the cash together to make these improvements – ranging from a successful flea market to a wonderful evening of music kindly put on by our patron Acker Bilk.

"As an organisation we have no source of cash other than our own fundraising, donations, course fees and the subscription fees for the co-operative members.

"The cafe is run as a separate independent business.

"But it gives the centre a real boost in terms of vibrancy."

A magnetic timetable board in the lobby gives an insight into the breadth of courses on offer for the summer term at the Folk House – with everything from life drawing to stained glass design; from pottery to Egyptian belly dancing.

"We are busier than ever, but it will be lovely to see the building in a fit state to continue on in the 21st century," Claudia says.

"It's amazing how often people come in and say they had no idea that we were here.

"People think of the Folk House as a little oasis in the middle of the city."

Later this month, the Folk House will also get a new website, making it easier to find out about all the current programme of courses on offer, and featuring a series of photographs from across the organisation's history.

"It's an exciting time for the Folk House," Claudia says.

"I'm sure we will continue to play an important part in Bristol's cultural life for many years to come."

● For more information about the Bristol Folk House call 0117 926 2987.