New team appointed as Elderswell retirement village prepares to open first phase

As the first phase of the £60m Bedfordshire retirement village nears completion, several new team members have been appointed with the aim to provide 5* service.

Once complete, Elderswell, located in Turvey, Bedfordshire, will offer 130 age-appropriate homes, as well as state-of-the-art facilities in the village centre for both the residents and the local community. Operated by Iater living specialist, Inspired Villages, the village centre will include a restaurant, café, wellness centre (featuring a fitness studio, gym and jacuzzi pool), and library. Phase one of construction will see 76 homes and the village centre completed this autumn.

The scheme has been a huge boost to the local economy. The construction phase alone has created around 50 jobs per annum during the three-year construction programme, with a further 25 operational jobs created on completion.

Leading the new appointments, Liam Stack has been hired as Village Manager. Liam, who has over 20 years’ experience in the hospitality sector, was previously Village Manager at Inspired Villages’ Durrants retirement village, in West Sussex.

Liam aims to work closely with people and businesses in the wider area, helping to build a real community from the beginning of the village’s life. His main focus will be developing the new team to deliver the best possible services that they can.

Liam will be joined by several other new hires, including Head Chef, Paul Traisneau, who is focussing on building relations with local suppliers and producers, as well as getting the village farm shop open.

Duncan Victorin has been appointed as Wellbeing Navigator and as a local to the area he will be utilising his community ties to raise awareness of Elderswell. Duncan is passionate about yoga, meditation and holistic wellbeing and has a wealth of experience in his field,  he is very much looking forward to sharing this with Inspired Villages’ residents and the wider community.

Tony Bale also joins the team as Head of Maintenance, and Stella White joins as Night Porter.

Jamie Bunce, CEO of Inspired Villages, comments: “We are so happy to welcome the new team to Elderswell and look forward to seeing their plans for the village come to fruition as the village’s residency grows. The team’s experience within hospitality, combined with their knowledge of the local area, will make them an excellent fit within the Inspired Villages family and will enable us to deliver an outstanding lifestyle option for residents as well as positively impact the local community.”

To give people a sneak peek into the first phase of the development, the team will be hosting two showcase days on Saturday 29th October and Thursday 17th November, more details to be announced soon.