The Trustees of Pilgrims’ Friend Society and Directors of Homesdale (Woodford Baptist Homes) Limited have announced a consultation with staff and residents at Homesdale in Wanstead, London, about their decision to close the care home on the site by the 31^st March 2025.

Despite ongoing wonderful care and community at the home, there are significant challenges on the site. The care home buildings have known deficiencies that mean we cannot care for people living with dementia and those who are very frail. In the light of this, and in order to ensure the long-term future of Christian care in Wanstead, it was announced earlier in the year that a new building would be needed to replace the existing provision and enable more work in the community amongst older people.

In recent months the home has seen people choose to move out and others choose not to come and live with us, and we have unable to meet the care needs of others because of the constraints of the building. Together with the known need for new premises, this has created uncertainty that hasn’t been helpful to those living or working at the home.

Stephen Hammersley, Chief Executive of Pilgrims’ Friend Society, said, “The wellbeing of people living and working with us is our primary concern and we are aware that this situation is creating uncertainty that isn’t helpful to them. We are supporting those who live and work with us through the consultation and, should the closure go ahead, we will invest in providing the maximum support we can to help those living with us find new accommodation that meets their needs and to help our staff colleagues find suitable alternative employment.”

Pilgrims’ Friend Society hopes to see a new home built on the site which will provide for more than 40 older people in a property built specifically to enable people in later life to flourish. As with the household model developed at Middlefields House, the community at Homesdale will be organised into smaller groups of around 12, enabling a close-knit and family-like atmosphere in the home. There will also be a significant investment in developing volunteering and in the home being a resource for the community.

This development would be part of Pilgrims' Friend Society's commitment to care for more older people within thriving Christian communities set in purpose-built facilities as part of the Growth and Renewal Programme.

This announcement relates only to the care home at Homesdale and does not affect the housing accommodation which sits on the same site. Homesdale Housing continues to provide rental accommodation for older people living independently.

Please pray for all those involved in this important decision, and for the right steps to be taken to ensure the long-term future of Christian care on the site in Wanstead.