Work starts on Uttoxeter care home extension
EXTENSION work at a Uttoxeter care home is now underway thanks to a £1.5m cash boost.
Care home operator Hermitage Charity Care Trust has started its expansion of the Hermitage Care Home after securing funding from The Royal Bank of Scotland’s specialist healthcare team through the European Investment Bank (EIB).
Planning permission was granted by East Staffordshire Borough Council for a 24-bed extension at the Holly Road property. The new facilities will provide accommodation for 30 residents and create five new jobs.
The home was set up 74 years ago when its benefactor Ellen Mary Bamford donated the family home and grounds to the Uttoxeter and District Nursing Association.
After the Nursing Association was dissolved the Hermitage Charity Care Trust continued to operate the home and eight bungalows in the grounds.
The Hermitage Care Home, a not for profit organisation, has been challenged to stay afloat due to increasing costs. The funding from RBS and the EIB has been welcomed by its trustees, who have previously needed to sell land to keep the service running.
Trustee Dr Peter Coffin said: “We have been planning the new extension for such a long time so it is great to know work has finally started. The new extension has been designed to complement the traditional values of the existing buildings while maximising the comforts available through modern health care architectural practices and will ensure our future self sufficient operation.
“To achieve this we have been working closely with our architect Oliver Cotton and Barretts and are really pleased with the results we are beginning to see. We have also been working closely with Steve Shaw our NatWest healthcare manager and are very grateful for his support in helping us to obtain the right financial package through the European Investment Bank.”
