Age UK ‘betraying elderly' by selling retirement home for millions
Residents living in the converted Georgian house in Salcombe, Devon, fear they will be forced to find new homes when it is sold off.
The house, named Woodcot, overlooks Salcombe Harbour and its estuary, and was understood to have been gifted to Age UK to be used in perpetuity as a retirement home for the elderly.
The property was left to the Plymouth Guild of Social Services by Elizabeth Jennings, a local philanthropist and owner of the house, in 1976 before being passed on to Help the Aged, which went on to become Age UK.
Friends and relatives of those now living in the apartments at Woodcot have described Age UK's decision to sell the house to developers as 'a betrayal' of the charity's purpose to care for the elderly.
Age UK's decision to sell the property has now been reported to the Charity Commission by a local activist who is in contact with a number of the home's residents.
She told The Telegraph: 'Should charities be disposing of extremely valuable assets to raise income whilst at the same time evicting the people who they are supposed to be helping? Not to mention the impact that the loss of the property will have on the local community. It's a betrayal and it's quite shameful of Age UK.
'Many people, my own mother included, have lived out their final years there in contented peace and quiet. It is a truly fabulous place. It is very much part of the local community. How does selling the property for development benefit the people they are supposed to be helping, or the wider community – many of whom want to live there?'
An elderly resident who moved to Woodcot 20 years ago said she was told at that point by Age UK that she would 'never have to move', only to be informed a few weeks ago that the property was to be sold.
She told The Telegraph: 'I feel, along with the other residents, that we should be allowed to stay here for the rest of our lives.
'Instead we face the prospect of being evicted so the house can be sold off at huge profit to developers for luxury apartments. It's just not right.'
A community hub
Woodcot has long been divided into self-contained flats for elderly residents, with its gardens open to the public every month in the summer. The gardens are also used to stage Shakespeare plays, host church fetes and hold community events to raise money for local projects.
It was built in 1797 by James Yates, a London merchant, and its three-storey stucco-fronted building with sash windows and a wide gable has stood as a local landmark on the walk from Salcombe to North Sands.
Age UK has justified its decision to sell Woodcot, telling residents it has a legal responsibility to ensure they are making the best use of all the funds and resources available to them to deliver their charitable objectives.
The charity said none of the residents have yet been evicted or given notice to leave.
The building is estimated to be worth several millions of pounds in an area where sea-view properties are at a premium and the average price of a house is more than £970,000. Salcombe has come to be nicknamed Chelsea-on-Sea for its popularity with second-homeowners from London, with new homes also at a premium.
Speculation is rife in Salcombe that Woodcot is already in the process of being sold to two private developers, but Age UK maintains that no sale has yet been agreed.
A spokesman for the charity said: 'We can confirm that sadly we've made the hard decision to explore selling Woodcot. We're looking into a number of things before a final decision about a sale is made and therefore do not expect anything to happen until 2026 at the earliest. None of the tenants have been evicted and no notice to terminate any tenancies has been given.
'We decided to speak to the tenants and let other key people in Salcombe know at this very early stage because we thought it important to be transparent about our thinking. However, doing this early does mean that unfortunately we don't have a lot more information or answers to questions at this stage.
'We're committed to communicating with and supporting tenants through this difficult time.'
The spokesman added: 'We understand that the property is much loved locally and that different views and beliefs have developed over time about the nature of the transfer of Woodcot to us and the role of the property in the community. However, many of these aren't founded.
'The transfer of the property to Help the Aged did not include any restrictions that would stop it being sold or required Help the Aged as a charity to run it as a residential home for older people.'
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