At Guild Care’s AGM on Tuesday 27 September, Chief Executive Suzanne Millard announced plans for a new purpose built care home for the community of Worthing. The 84 bed home (all with en suite facilities) will support Worthing’s increasing number of older people in need of residential dementia care through to highly specialised end-of-life nursing care. Guild Care also plan to incorporate into the home in-house community space for respite day care services for dementia sufferers.Suzanne Millard said, ‘this exciting new project, due to be built in our 80th year, is a very large financial commitment for any organisation but particularly for a charity that relies on the generosity of our local community. As an organisation, our services are in high demand as 23% of Worthing’s population is over 65 compared to a national average of 17%. With an increasing number of people being diagnosed with dementia, and indications that this will double in the next 30 years, we know that we need to be building care homes designed for the future. Tonight we are launching a £1.5 million fundraising campaign to help pay towards the costs of the new home.’
Chairman Carol Roberts added, ‘The Trustees are fully committed to providing this new home which will be designed as a community resource for Worthing and the local area. Our aim is that the home will have a high proportion of its beds set exclusively aside for state funded residents and that the remaining private rooms will be offered at an affordable rate
After a difficult year in 2009, Guild Care’s end of year Financial Report showed a continued improvement during 2010/11 with income increasing by £474,000 (4.5%) after a very successful year. Staff costs of £8 million accounted for 74% of the charity’s expenditure demonstrating Guild Care’s commitment to service delivery.
Guild Care’s fundraising appeals for the Healthy Living Programme and the Ashdown Centre for children and young people with special needs reached their targets of £100,000 and £20,000 respectfully and legacy income increased to £159,000. The charity also benefited from two significant grants: the Thomas Banting Memorial Trust awarded the Healthy Living Programme £470,000 over the next three years and the Social Enterprise Investment Fund made a capital grand of £154,000.
Guild Care continues to develop its wide range of services to meet the needs of older people and carers particularly where constraints on funding have meant the loss of projects such as POPP (Partnership for Older People), a highly regarded community prevention initiative.
Find out more from the charity’s Annual Review available from our Head Office at Methold House, their care homes and charity shops.