The Gurkha Welfare Trust case study

Promoting relationships between older people and the communities they live in, helping to raise awareness of the services available to them and improving inclusion are key focuses across all of Anchor Hanover’s retirement housing properties and care homes.

In Hampshire Anchor Hanover work with The Gurkha Welfare Trust to ensure the local retired Gurkha community know about the housing and care options we can offer them.

The Gurkha Welfare Trust is the leading Gurkha charity providing financial, medical and development aid to Gurkha veterans, their families and communities. As increasing numbers of Gurkhas are settling in the UK, the Trust has responded by looking to partner with other Service charities and organisations like Anchor Hanover to ensure they can provide more advice and information to those who have chosen to make their home in the UK.

Anchor Hanover’s Community Partnership team and Rob Podmore, Location Manager at St Clements Court in Farnborough, have been working with Gurkha Welfare Officer, Gary Ghale, to help raise awareness of the housing options Anchor Hanover can offer the over 55s.

Rob explains: “Working in retirement housing for many years, both Jackie and I recognise that for older people from different backgrounds and cultures, finding the right support and care can sometimes be difficult if English isn't their first language.

“In Farnborough we have a large Gurkha community however much of our information was hard for people to access. Working with Gary, and the network of EX-Gurkha Community Leaders, we have been able to inform the community about the options available to them with translated presentations, leaflets and information sheets.”

A series of dual language presentations given collaboratively by Anchor Hanover Community Partnership Managers and Gary have explained the benefits offered by retirement housing, while Rob has arranged for people to come and visit St Clements’s Court and see the apartments and communal facilities in person.

Gary comments: “Working with Anchor Hanover has been a really positive experience. Each presentation and meeting we have arranged has been very well attended and we have been inundated with questions.

“Retirement housing has been demystified in a big way for the local Gurkha community, many of whom would not have known how to arrange a visit or make an application previously."

Visit The Gurkha Welfare Trust’s website for more information about the services they offer.