Work begins today on a new £10.5m care hub at the heart of Whiteley Village in Surrey, further expanding care services and capacity at Britain’s oldest retirement village.
Finance for the project has been secured from two of the UK’s most-prominent social lenders, Triodos Bank and Unity Trust Bank.
And a ground-breaking ceremony last week marked the start of work on site.
It was attended by Dominic Raab MP, Minister of State for Housing.
Opening in March 2019, the new care hub will revolutionise the way Whiteley offers clinical care within the community, providing intensive care capacity for up to 30 people with complex needs associated with old age.
This includes space for visiting families to stay with their loved ones, consultation rooms for visiting health professionals from the local GP practice/NHS, therapy space, and a large café to provide a new social venue at the heart of the village.
Chandra McGowan, chief executive of The Whiteley Homes Trust, said: “The new care hub marks the start of the next chapter in the history of Whiteley Village.
The addition of new facilities from which we can deploy up-to-date clinical care will further enhance life for people today and in the future
“Quality of life for our residents has always been our passion, working together with residents to support the whole community to age well within their own homes.
“The addition of new facilities from which we can deploy up-to-date clinical care will further enhance life for people today and in the future.”
Triodos Bank, the UK’s leading sustainable bank, and Unity Trust Bank have provided a total of £16m towards the development work at the village.
The £21m project will transform Whiteley’s current operational model into a collaborative social care framework.
Once the care hub is complete, the remainder of the financing in phase 1 will be used to redevelop Whiteley House, adding 39 individual extra care apartments.
Phase 2 will include additional alms houses in the future.
Matt Conroy, relationship manager at Triodos Bank, said: “With this innovative new care hub, Whiteley Village is at an exciting stage in its 100-year history.
“We want to make sure that organisations like Whiteley get the financial support they need to shape a future world that’s better for us all.
“The benefits of collaborative care are obvious, and Whiteley is creating a model of care that places human dignity at its very core.”
Castleoak, a specialist partner in the design and build of care homes, will be the architect and construction partner for the scheme.