A leading care provider has launched a new breakfast club giving frail older people a taste of cafe culture.

 Bield, Scotland’s leading provider of housing and care, has increased the services at the Clachan Cafe to give more older people who can’t get out and about the chance to enjoy a cafe trip.

Based at Bield’s very sheltered housing complex in Bonnethill Gardens, Dundee, the Clachan operates like a high street cafe but is located within the complex so tenants can get there easily.

The new breakfast club offers tea, coffee, hot filled rolls and toast each weekday morning to those tenants who want to eat and socialise with friends but cannot travel very easily.

Ashley Kidd, deputy manager at Bonnethill Gardens, said: “We already offer a traditional meal service to tenants which includes lunch and tea, but decided to do something different with a breakfast club.

“The Clachan Cafe operates just like a normal cafe, with its own till and tables, and offers a traditional breakfast menu but the difference is that it is on site here at Bonnethill, which means our tenants can get to it easily.

“Some of our tenants do find it difficult to get out and about, but we are committed to finding ways to enable them to be engaged in activities and included in local communities for as long as possible.”

Tenants at Bonnethill Gardens, as well as those at nearby Stirling Court and Rockwell Gardens are all encouraged to use the cafe.

Since its launch last week it has already proved popular, serving around 25 breakfasts each week.

Brian Logan, Bield’s Chief Executive said: “This is a great initiative and an excellent example of the way that our care services work to keep older people included in social activities for as long as possible, reducing isolation and encouraging them to live their lives to the full.

“Services like the Clachan Cafe epitomise our ‘Free to Be’ philosophy meaning that people in care can take control of their lives whilst being given the necessary support to do so.

“We are also very grateful to the volunteers who take their time to provide valuable services to our tenants to enable them to socialise at clubs such as this.”

 Bield – a registered charity – has grown from humble beginnings, starting out with one housing development in Bo’ness to become a major provider of a wide range of housing and services for around 20,000 older people across 22 local authority areas.

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