Former nursery owner leads new intergenerational care village

A former nursery operator has been hired to manage the first intergenerational care village with a nursery in the North West of England.

Ex-nursery owner Patrick Butler is the newly-appointed general manager of Belong Chester care village and its on-site nursery, which is scheduled to open next spring.

Having run two nurseries in the 1990s which remain in operation today, Mr Butler intends to put his childcare experience to good use at The Nursery in Belong, which will provide care for 25 children aged from birth to five years.

Mr Butler has also held senior roles at Bupa Care Services, overseeing nursing, dementia and residential care. With over 30 years’ experience in care, he hopes children and the village’s residents will both benefit from the shared intergenerational learning experiences on-site.

'I'm passionate about care for all ages'

Patrick Butler said: “I’m passionate about care for all ages and, having previously worked in the city, I'm pleased to be back and looking forward to setting the highest care standards from day one.

“Our goal is to build what will become the premier dementia care service in West Cheshire.”

Featuring a sensory nature and play garden for children, the nursery will operate flexibly over six days a week. Belong Chester will also offer dementia and nursing support for over 100 adults.

The care village and nursery teams will work closely together to create a shared environment where children and older people can spend time together, learn from each other and build "meaningful friendships".

Prior to the new nursery's opening, adult social care operator Belong has been working closely with the charity Ready Generations, which looks into the benefits of developing connection between generations through education.

Sue Egersdorff, founder of Ready Generations, said: “Intergenerational interactions are shown to improve cognition, health and wellbeing, including supporting the learning and development of children and reducing feelings of disconnect and loneliness in older people.

“Young people also gain life experiences and improve their personal and social skills within new situations and environments. Both enjoy positive social interactions and the chance to develop meaningful friendships where age is of no significance.”

Belong Chester will offer facilities such as a bistro, hair salon, gym and art studio for adults needing care. As well as 23 apartments for independent living, the village will include households for people requiring 24-hour support, including specialist dementia and nursing care.

Stacey McCann, chief operating officer at Belong, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Patrick to the team.

"He is incredibly passionate about care and his empathy and engaging manner have enabled him to foster strong relationships as he’s earned his reputation as a care leader in the region.”

click here for more details or to contact Belong Chester