RESIDENTS of a Keighley sheltered housing complex have opened their own café.

The elderly residents of Hanover Court, Utley, run the ‘chat café’ open to both themselves and other local people.

Each month the café adopts a new theme where residents and the local community gather for entertainment, exercise, dementia awareness workshops and a mobile nail bar.

Hanover Court resident Christine Kennett, 73, said: “The café is wonderful. Every few weeks I treat myself to a hand massage and nail painting.”

Money to create the café came from Anchor Hanover, which runs Hanover Court, through its small grant funding programme designed to enhance well-being for its older residents across the UK.

Since launching in 2006, the programme has funded more than £600,000 of activities such and improvements as outings, exercise classes, gardening, raised beds and summer houses.

This year Anchor Hanover has extended its funding to help support resident groups to establish social enterprises on their estates, with up to £5,000 made available for each local endeavour.

Other Anchor Hanover facilities have created a gift shop in an unused communal lounge, or converted a community lounge to host coffee mornings, fundraisers and exercise classes.

Nick Sedgewick, Director of Service Improvement at Anchor Hanover said: “Improving the lives of our residents is at the heart of what we do. Over the years Greenshoots has helped residents undertake a great number of activities, improved social wellbeing and added a sense of community.

“It’s hugely exciting to see how the new social enterprise grants are encouraging residents to be become even more involved with what is going on at their estate as well as helping them to reduce loneliness and isolation.”