POLE position... Newton Abbot’s mayor Cllr Liz Roberts, formally opens Claire’s Cafe at the Ilford Park Polish Home near Bovey Tracey.

Watching her deft use of scissors with ceremonial ribbon are staff and residents at the only surviving Ministry of Defence-run Polish home left in the UK.

After the Second World War there were 45 such resettlement camps for Poles dotted around the country.

The cafe’s first job on Tuesday was to host a party for residents with food, drink and a raffle.

The project – named Kawiarnia which is Polish for cafe – aimed to increase fair-weather space using a vintage Polish cafe theme.

It was established to embrace the principles of dementia care.

The motive forces behind the venture were Martin Thompson Denning, Liz Farnham, Charlotte Love, Claire Roscoe, Shaun Ruddick and Andrew Pickard who organised a series of fundraising events.

The current set-up at the venue provides home for 98 residents in the 81-bed care wing, the 14-bed nursing home and three independent bungalows.