Bupa moves further into care village sector with acquisition of Richmond Care Villages

Bupa has acquired Richmond Care Villages, which comprises of five care villages in England that are home to over 660 people.

The deal also includes three further sites for developing new care villages.

Care villages are becoming increasingly popular as they offer extensive communal and recreational facilities such as a swimming pool, spa, bowling green, plus exercise classes and art and crafts classes as well as providing a comprehensive range of care and support services.

The five villages in Gloucester, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Cheshire, and Oxfordshire include independent-living apartments and assisted-living support, along with residential care, all on one site.

Managing director of Bupa Care Services, Andrew Cannon, said: “This acquisition underlines Bupa’s strategy to offer older people a wider choice and expand the range of services that we provide beyond care homes and further into the community. Richmond is an excellent company, with great people, and good locations, that will help us to meet these ambitions.

“We all want to retain our independence as we age. But we also want access to high-quality services and facilities, with the reassurance that further support is on hand if we need it, without having to move elsewhere. Care villages provide this all on one site.”

Under the deal, all existing 600 Richmond staff and management will move to Bupa.

Richmond Care Villages managing director, Paddy Brice, believes the “move will greatly assist Richmond’s future expansion”. He said: “I am delighted that Richmond is to become part of Bupa – one of the best known and most trusted names in healthcare. We both share a commitment to providing the highest-quality service, care and support for our residents.”

Jones Lang LaSalle Corporate Finance led the transaction acting as corporate, financial and real estate advisers. Tim Edghill, head of M&A, Jones Lang LaSalle Corporate Finance said the transaction “demonstrates the depth of interest in the retirement village sector which will continue to grow, as lifestyle and choice become an increasingly important factor alongside care support in old age”.

Bupa also manages a number of independent-living and assisted-living properties in the UK through its Goldsborough Estates business, as well as owning and operating 22 care villages in New Zealand.

Bupa Care Services is the UK’s second biggest care home provider, with around 300 nursing and residential care homes, caring for over 17,000 people.

It is also one of the leaders in dementia care with its ‘Person First, dementia second’ training having been specially developed by Bradford Dementia Group at the University of Bradford.

click here for more details or to contact Bupa Care Homes