A CARE provider has officially opened Sunnymeade Care Home in Chard and Critchill Court Care Home in Frome after having saved both homes from closure in April.

The team at each Agincare home invited residents, their family and friends, and representatives from their respective communities to a special opening event that included a drinks reception, live entertainment, a buffet lunch, and a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Sunnymeade Care Home in Chard benefits from a central location just a short walk from the High Street and other amenities in town.

The home supports fifty residents, with accommodation comprising five ground-floor spaces each with its own lounge and dining room.

Deputy Mayor Andy Kenton was delighted to open Sunnymeade to the large crowd of assembled residents, family members, and local officials, stating: “It was really something for Agincare to step in and take over Sunnymeade at such short notice, if they hadn’t, then we’d have lost all the brilliant staff.

“For the people of Chard and their families it is so important that local residents have somewhere they can stay but also for relatives to have somewhere easy to visit.”

Critchill Court in Frome is a purpose-built residential home that provides high-quality, personalised care and support for forty-six residents, including specialist support for those living with dementia.

Speaking before Mayor Andy Jones, Agincare Founder and Chairman Derek Luckhurst thanked guests for attending.

Agincare founder and chairman Derek Luckhurst (second left), Mayor of Frome Andy Jones (centre), Agincare chief executive Raina Summerson (second right) with residents of Critchill Court Agincare founder and chairman Derek Luckhurst (second left), Mayor of Frome Andy Jones (centre), Agincare chief executive Raina Summerson (second right) with residents of Critchill Court (Image: Contributed)

He said: “It’s been six weeks since Agincare took on the responsibility of running this wonderful home.

"It is great that Mayor Andy Jones has made time to come and honour us by cutting the ribbon and open this new era of running this wonderful care home under the name of Agincare.”

Mayor of Frome Andy Jones cut the ribbon alongside residents and said: “On behalf of the town, I must say how much this home is valued by our local people.

“The threat of closure caused a huge public outcry so I am pleased that Agincare has stepped in to look after the facility for the future.”

Critchill and Sunnymeade join family-run Agincare’s growing network of 29 high-quality residential care and nursing homes nationwide, including Beaufort Park Retirement Village in Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset.

Agincare was started over 37 years ago from a single care home in Dorset by Founder and Chairman Derek Luckhurst, and remains family-owned to this day, growing to be a leading independent provider of high-quality care nationwide.

Agincare employs over 4,000 people in more than 90 locations nationwide.

Its comprehensive range of services includes retirement villages, residential care, and nursing homes plus home care, extra care schemes, live-in care, and supported living.

For further information about Agincare and the care service it provides nationwide, head to www.agincare.com