ILKLEY Good Neighbours has introduced a second Moving On Friendship Group following a large increase in demand for its popular social gathering meetings.

The meetings have become a regular opportunity for people aged 60 and over to make friends and find out what’s happening in their local area. The group, run by charity volunteers, was originally set up in 2017 to offer direction and support to people whose life circumstances had changed.

However over the years it has evolved into a more general friendship group which helps tackle the social isolation felt by many older residents in the community, creating a friendly and welcoming social gathering.

Co-ordinator Hannah Walton said: “The meetings have grown enormously in popularity and our current group was full with a waiting list of people keen to join. We decided to start a second group to help more people in our area.”

The new group meetings take place on Thursday afternoons between 1.30 and 3.00pm, on the first and second Thursdays of each month, in the Small Hall at the Clark Foley Centre, in Ilkley.

The upcoming dates are December 7 and 14, January 4 and 11 and February 1 and 8. There is a £3 fee per person each week.