Hundreds of guests will be met with a carnival atmosphere at the
official opening of a new £11 million care village in Market
Harborough.
Prime Life has completed the construction of a 137-bed care
village in Peaker Park, Rockingham Road, in nine months thanks to
financial support from Yorkshire Bank's Financial Solutions Centre
in Leicester.
An 89-bed specialist elderly, nursing and dementia unit has been
built along with two further units each providing 24 beds of
specialist care with en-suite facilities for each resident.
The Yorkshire Bank-backed project has also created 150 full-time
jobs in roles ranging from nursing and ancillary staff to
management and office posts.
Peter Van Herrewege, chairman of Prime Life which operates over
60 care homes UK-wide, said the official opening on Wednesday had
been split into two parts.
"We think the grand opening of our Peaker Park care home will be
a day to remember for all the right reasons," he said.
"We will be welcoming around 150 doctors, district nurses and
potential residents for a tour of the facilities before being
treated to afternoon cream teas.
"Then 250 guests from the business community, the construction
and architect teams, district councillors and people who are
considering moving into a care home or who have relatives or
friends that may want to move into our care village will be greeted
during the evening by stilt walkers, jugglers and street
entertainers.
"After champagne and canapes, there will be a BBQ, a real ale
garden and music from a jazz band before all guests are invited to
stay over in our bedrooms so they can live the life of a resident
for a night.
"We want to show that Peaker Park is a positive place where
people who can no longer live independently can live happily in
their advancing years."
Gail Fielding, senior partner at Yorkshire Bank's FSC in New
Walk, said it was a great idea to treat guests as the celebrities
to open the care village.
"Our Investing for Growth funding initiative, which was set up
to enable trading companies to move forward, is perfect for Prime
Life since it enables businesses to purchase or grow their
premises, employ more staff, launch a product or tender for a new
contract," she said.
"This new care village will provide high-standard accommodation
and care to ensure residents can continue making the most of
life.
"I have watched the care village take shape month by month
throughout its construction and I am looking forward to attending
the official launch to see it in its final glory."
A second phase of 32 fully serviced apartments with a mix of one
and two bedroom self-contained units featuring a kitchen, lounge
and bathroom is expected to begin in 18 months. It will also
include communal areas for residents to socialise, greet visitors,
a café, laundry and staff provision.