Abbeyfield South Downs has marked the opening of Holdenhurst, its care-enabled sheltered housing development in Heathfield, East Sussex, by burying two time capsules.
In early November, Huw Merriman MP buried time capsules containing items illustrating contemporary life as donated by individuals and organisations from the local community. Those contributing included schools, community groups, and local residents, who provided items such as drawings, poems, videos from schoolchildren, coins, stamps, and a shopping receipt. The time capsules will be exhumed in 50 years’ time.
A registered charity offering care-enabled housing for older people, Abbeyfield South Downs is part of the global Abbeyfield Family and its network of over 350 care homes, sheltered living schemes, and independent living complexes. Holdenhurst comprises 48 affordable rental apartments offering enhanced sheltered housing in a care-enabled environment to anyone over 60, with accompanying restaurant, café, hairdressing salon, and a wellbeing suite.
Abbeyfield South Downs chief executive Nolan Taylor said: “We are extremely excited to bury the time capsules and have enjoyed working with the Heathfield community to ensure its contents are truly representative of what it is like living in this thriving market town. After the last couple of years everyone has had, it has been a fun and positive focus to bring the community together even more. Holdenhurst has long been a part of the community and local people will continue to play an important role at the affordable housing scheme. We thought of no better way to commemorate this by burying a time capsule.
“Over many years, the site has been a facility for older members of the community and in its most recent incarnation, Holdenhurst regularly hosted the local Age UK day centre lunches. We hope the new building will be similarly used by local community groups.”
Huw Merriman MP added: “It’s great to see the housing scheme fully open and providing such a great environment for the local community in Heathfield. It demonstrates that an affordable rental housing scheme for older people is achievable with the right support. We need more housing charities like Abbeyfield South Downs to work with Homes England and funding partners such as Charity Bank to deliver much needed older people housing.”
