Pictured above: Trustee Cllr Len Clark lays the first brick above the damp-proof course, watched by (left to right) Lench's Trust bailiff Timothy Cuthbertson, Mansell trainee site manager Sam Smith and Lench's Trust chief executive Jean-Luc Priez

A special bricklaying ceremony was held to commemorate work on an £8.3 million contract to build sheltered housing for a Birmingham charity which can trace its roots back to 1525.

The contract - being carried out by the Stourbridge-based Western region of Mansell is for the construction of 63 homes for the elderly for rent and shared ownership in Ridgacre Road, Quinton, Birmingham. The development, called William Lench Court, is due to open in 2011.

The project has been commissioned by Lench's Trust, a charity which is dedicated to providing care and housing for older people in Birmingham. Eventually the new retirement village will provide 97 apartments accommodating some 120 residents. Although the residents will live independently, they will have access to 24 hour care facilities as and when needed, plus comprehensive communal facilities.

Groundwork up to the damp-proof course was marked with a bricklaying ceremony by Birmingham City Councillor Len Clark, who is a trustee, along with Lench's Trust bailiff Timothy Cuthbertson, watched by Lench's Trust and Mansell representatives.

Lench's Trust was established in the early 16th century when Birmingham tanner William Lench left his wealth to 19 friends and asked for it to be given to charity to help the poor and needy in Birmingham. Since then the Trust has established almshouses and sheltered housing on three sites across the city.