Two new care homes are being taken on by Christian care provider Pilgrims’ Friend Society, bringing its total number of homes for the elderly to 14. It hopes to open at least two further care homes within the next three years.
The homes – in North Walsham, Norfolk and Hassocks, West Sussex – are currently managed by the Salvation Army. Completion of the transfers is due to take place on 1 May 2026.
The charity’s chief executive Stephen Hammersley told en that demand for places in Christian care and residential homes is rising, with several demographic trends explaining why.
He said: “The UK is projected to require an additional 144,000 care-home beds over the next decade to keep pace with an ageing population. There are already more than 11 million people aged 65 and over in England and Wales”, 72.2% of whom identify as Christian.
“Taken together,” Stephen added, “these factors point to a growing need for care settings that reflect Christian identity, values, and community, making the demand for spaces in Christian care homes higher than ever.”
He confirmed that plans are under way to build and open more new care homes in Wanstead, London, in 2028 (at its Homesdale site) and in Crawley, West Sussex, in 2029; and the Society is also open to taking on more homes from other providers.
Unsurprisingly, the greatest challenges faced by Pilgrims’ Friend Society are financial. Stephen explained: “We are facing growing pressure as rising costs, driven by government policies – such as increases to the national living wage and regulatory changes – continue to outpace the funding available from local authorities.
“The gap between what it costs to provide care and what local authorities can afford to pay has expanded dramatically. What was once a shortfall of only a few hundred thousand pounds a year is now in the millions and this has become our organisation’s single largest financial burden.
“As a Christian provider committed to welcoming people who are not wealthy – particularly those who have committed themselves to low or unpaid ministry work – and who rely on local authority support, we as a charity must absorb this widening gap ourselves.”
