Care and housing providers Anchor and Hanover to create 'new, bigger organisation'

Anchor and Hanover are in talks over merging to become a single organisation, that would be the largest provider of specialist housing and care for older people in England.

The burgeoning population of older people in the UK has led the not-for-profit care and housing provider Anchor to join forces with Hanover Housing Association to become the Anchor Hanover Group.

Anchor chief executive Jane Ashcroft is to be chief executive designate of the new housing and care provider. The chair designate is Dr Stuart Burgess, currently chair of Hanover.

In a joint statement, Ms Ashcroft and Dame Clare said: “People can look forward to living longer than ever before. More specialist housing and care will be needed going forwards, with new types of services.

“At Hanover and Anchor, we understand these changing needs. We have ambitious plans and want to provide more services, driven by the needs and aspirations of the growing number of older people.

"A new, bigger organisation has the potential to provide the best value-for-money services for our customers now and in the future. It would also enable us to offer better career options for colleagues and help us attract and retain great people."

They envisage the "single, bigger organisation" building more properties for older people which may include social rented, shared ownership and outright sale new homes.

As a single housing and care provider they believe they would be able to be more efficient and pool resources. They would also be able to offer people a bigger range of housing and care options.

The new organisation would continue to be a major provider of residential care to older people.

Anchor chair Pamela Chesters announced last year that she intended to stand down from Anchor’s board, and Hanover chief executive Dame Clare Tickell chose not to pursue the chief executive role for the new organisation. She believed that the timing was right for a change, and to take up other opportunities.

The two providers are now seeking feedback from customers and stakeholders and hope to report back later this year.

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