Cafe steps in after care home shuts kitchen
A Wolverhampton city centre cafe owner has offered to provide pensioners at a doomed care home with a cooked breakfast every morning following the news that its kitchen would shut a fortnight before residents are moved out.
Vicky Beswick, owner of Il Cappuccino, in Salop Street, says she will deliver the meals to Underhill House, in Bushbury, if the city council agrees. Underhill is home to Britain's fifth oldest woman, Louisa Watts, aged 106, and will close on January 15 after residents lost a court battle.
Only cereal and toast will be provided for breakfast once the kitchen shuts for good this Saturday.
Ms Beswick, whose grandmother, Minnie Beswick lives at the home, said today: "It's a disgrace that these women are being kicked out their home, but to leave them without a kitchen is absolutely awful.
"They all enjoy a cooked breakfast and in the depths of winter they need one - they don't want a bowl of cereal and a splash of cold milk.
"What I'm saying to the council is let me cook up at the cafe and then deliver a breakfast every morning."
Resident Emmie Gill, one of the youngest residents at the home at 81, said: "I like a nice cooked breakfast, so this would be lovely."
Fallings Park ward's Councillor Steve Evans, who has campaigned for the past year to keep Underhill House open, said: "It's a really generous offer and I'll be speaking to the relevant authorities to see whether we can do it.
"Let's just hope after the council has moved these elderly women out of their home, they can at least find it within themselves to allow this to go ahead."
Once the kitchen shuts, dinner and lunches for the eight remaining residents will be brought in as part of the council's meals on wheels service.
Advertising millionaire Trevor Beattie, a former Wolverhampton student, offered £80,000 to keep the home open for another year, but the council turned him down. It may now be turned into a doctor's surgery under plans by Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust.
By Colin Drury
