For Alan Stanley, however, retirement from Family Dental Care in Scholes has offered him the chance to set up a new dental practice - but one which will offer him a very different challenge.

As a trustee of St George’s Crypt in Leeds, Alan has been heavily involved in the recent £1.2million refurbishment of the homeless centre.

The work has developed the services on offer at the crypt and, in the coming weeks, Alan will be overseeing the opening of a dental surgery for people there who might otherwise be unable to access the treatment they need.

Although he won’t be treating patients himself, he expects to be heavily involved with the running of the surgery – he even took early retirement, at the age of 57, to enable him to be there right from the beginning.

His involvement with the crypt dates back to his student days when he treated his first patients from there during the first year after he qualified.

Since then, crypt volunteers have regularly brought patients to him for treatment.

Although there are medical centres catering for homeless people already in Leeds, Alan knew there was a need for more dental sessions – and help came from a fellow professional.

“Prem Sehmi, another dentist, approached us at the Crypt,” said Alan. “He has a number of dental surgeries in Yorkshire so he very generously offered to equip the whole surgery for us - it should be being installed in the next month or six weeks.”

Several volunteers have also been found to help run the surgery, which Alan believes is the first in the country to be permanently set up in a homeless shelter.

But establishing a pioneering service is not without its problems although, according to Alan, the many changes at the crypt mean it is a great time to be involved.

“It’s particularly difficult to run a dental service for homeless people,” said Alan. “It’s certainly a challenge for us. St George’s Crypt has been running for 80 years and it’s still a challenge!

“But it’s a really exciting time for the crypt. It’s developing its services hugely at the moment.”

The new crypt facilities include 15 individual sleeping spaces for the homeless, with other rooms available for emergencies, such as when demand was particularly high during the bad weather in January as nobody is ever turned away.

But, contrary to many people’s understanding of the work of a homeless centre, Alan said its main focus is now on activities during the day.

“Traditionally, the crypt has provided overnight shelter for homeless people. It has provided a hostel for alcoholics who are still drinking, and a dry hostel for alcoholics who are on a detox, as well as follow-on houses for people who are moving on from the shelter,” he said.

“But we’re moving now to provide training for people to get into the job market. We’re particularly running training in horticulture and some small jewellery making.