After securing £4.65m from Lloyds Bank housing association Alpha Living has delivered an extra care scheme in Merseyside offering 78 apartments for people aged 55 and over. Tony McDonough reports

Housing provider Alpha Living has completed a multi-million pound extra care scheme in Wirral which offers 78 apartments for people aged 55 and over.

Alpha, a specialist housing association, secured a £4.65m funding package from Lloyds Bank to delver the scheme – called Poppyfields – on the site of a former adult social care scheme in Saughall Massie.

It is already fully occupied by 85 residents and offers a bistro, residents’ lounge and hair and well-being suite. With regular social activities and staff available 24 hours a day, Poppyfields also has large communal gardens.

Operating in the North of England since 1963, Alpha Living has an annual turnover of £6.3m and its head office will now also be based at the Poppyfields site. Chief executive Graeme Foster said: “The launch of our brand new Poppyfields site is yet another key development milestone for our business and one we’re very proud of.

“Its residents are made up entirely of local people, many of whom were struggling to be fully independent in their own home and just need a little extra help here and there. Poppyfields allows them to live independently but with the comfort and security of on-site care services.”

Steven Atwell, relationship director at Lloyds Bank, added: “Alpha Living’s latest development, Poppyfields, has already had a tangible impact on the local community in the Wirral, providing more people from across the region with access to high-quality accommodation in an innovative and comfortable supported living environment.

“We will continue to champion businesses such as Alpha Living in achieving their ambitions, as part of our ongoing commitment to help Britain prosper.”