Manchester City Council chief executive, Sir Howard Bernstein, performed the ceremonial cutting of turf to mark the start of a £12 million care village project for Manchester Jewry in Didsbury.
The development is a collaboration between the Morris Feinmann Homes Trust and specialist care operator Belong. Set to open in summer 2017, it will provide six specialist households, each designed to accommodate 12 residents. It will also incorporate facilities for wider use, including a synagogue, exercise studio, a kosher bistro and an internet café.
Sir Howard said that Belong had "pioneered an innovative model for older people's care that has redefined the traditional care home". Feinmann trust chair, Alan Wilkins, added that the development "will create an environment for the Jewish community that is fit for purpose in the 21st century. It offers the best in building design, together with the very latest approaches in care for older people, and will provide a rich programme of Jewish religious and cultural activities to maintain a strong Jewish ethos throughout the village."
Founded in 1947 to offer shelter and assistance to refugees and Holocaust survivors, the Feinmann trust evolved to support the residential and nursing care of the older Jewish community.