Stunning CGI video showcases new £47 million retirement village in Solihull

A stunning two-minute flyover showcasing an upcoming 261-home, state-of-the-art retirement village in Shirley, Solihull has been released.

The village is currently being developed in partnership with the ExtraCare Charitable Trust, a registered charity, and Solihull Metropolitan Council. The new development has also received a grant of £2.5 million from Homes England.

Work started in March last year across almost four acres of the former Powergen site. The village is expected to be completed in Spring 2021 and will become home for more than 300 local older people, aged 55 or over.

Facilities will include a bar and bistro, village hall, library, hair and beauty salon, gym and shop.

Residents are set to benefit from up to 50 activities on offer every week, including art classes, tai chi, yoga, computer classes and gardening, the village will encourage residents, visitors and volunteers to enjoy an active lifestyle. Through enriching volunteer opportunities, residents will be able to help run activities, sharing their skills with others. Residents’ families and the local community will also be able to take advantage of the communal social and leisure facilities.

Care and support will be available within the village to residents if they need it, delivered by ExtraCare’s dedicated care team. ExtraCare’s award-winning well-being and specialist dementia services will be located in the village centre offering support and advice, empowering residents to be able to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Following the success of the charity’s participation in Channel 4’s BAFTA-nominated Old People’s Home for 4 Year-Old late last year intergenerational activity continues to be a focus. This is reflected in Solihull’s plans to have an children’s play area. A two-year project between ExtraCare and Haslucks Green Junior School designed to raise awareness and understanding of older people has already begun.

The CGI has landed as ExtraCare releases the results of its research with Lancaster University, which found that exercise by residents increased to 75%, anxiety levels dropped by 23%, and 86.5% were never or hardly ever lonely. It follows a previous research study with Aston University showing residents living in ExtraCare’s retirement villages reduced their dependence on GP and hospital services. This means a 38% reduction in NHS costs per person each year.

James Warrington, Regional Managing Director at Galliford Try Partnerships said: “The fly-over video and CGI images are great to be able to give potential residents and the local community a real idea of what we are actually building behind the hoarding. The site is progressing very well and we are looking forward to showcasing the Retirement Village when it completes in Spring 2021.”

A registered charity since 1988, the ExtraCare Charitable Trust operates 19 retirement villages and schemes across the country, located in central, south and north midlands and the North West. The villages integrate lifestyle, homes and care, and are transforming lives for local older. ExtraCare’s villages become social hubs with facilities available to thousands of local people representing all generations across the local community.

In 2017, ExtraCare won the UK Housing Awards Outstanding Development Programme of the Year for their £200m village partnership with Birmingham City Council. The award recognised the development of 1,152 village homes and the delivery of proactive health and well-being services.

See the short video https://ow.ly/jmr330ogUM3

Older people who would like to register their interest in the new Solihull village can call 0300 303 2333 or email solihull@extracare.org.uk.

For more information about the village please visit: extracare.co.uk/villages/solihull-village

ENDS

For more information please contact: Cheryl Flounders on 02476 507 917 or at cheryl.flounders@extracare.org.uk

The ExtraCare Charitable Trust

ExtraCare is a registered charity established in 1988 and based in Coventry. Our vision is better lives for older people and our mission is creating sustainable communities that provide homes older people want, lifestyles they can enjoy and care if it’s needed. To deliver our vision and mission we essentially do three things:

• We develop new villages
• We operate villages and schemes
• We support our villages, schemes and our ‘extra-care’ model through fundraising, advocacy and research

Each village or scheme has 5 to 18 social, health and leisure facilities that are accessible to our residents, volunteers and local people representing all age groups living in surrounding communities. Our Charity Shops help fund care and well-being services for older people living at our each of our locations.