Alexandra Place will be getting a royal seal of approval next week (Tuesday November 29) when Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester officially opens the brand new development of high-quality homes for older people in Woodley.

The Hon. Mrs Bayliss, Lord Lieutenant for the Royal County of Berkshire, will receive Her Royal Highness before she tours Alexandra Place and meets residents in the hair salon, restaurant, exercise suite, shop and activity areas.

A Wokingham Borough Council initiative, the Extra Care Housing scheme at Alexandra Place has been developed by Catalyst Housing, constructed on their behalf by The Leadbitter Group, and is managed by Central & Cecil, with the on-site care and support service provided by Housing 21.

Alexandra Place provides 46 one-bedroom apartments and 18 two-bedroom apartments, including ten apartments for people with dementia. The comfortable homes and facilities enable older people to live independently for as long as possible where they can surround themselves with their own belongings. Pets are also welcome.

The care offered can be adapted as the occupier’s needs change, for example, if an older person moves into Extra Care Housing with no care needs but later develops them, it will be possible for additional care to be provided within their home. This will prevent the upheaval of older people having to move from their home into residential nursing or care homes as their needs increase.

After an eighteen-month construction period, residents began moving into this brand new development in August 2011. 

On arriving at Alexandra Place, Her Royal Highness will be greeted by local dignitaries before embarking on a tour of the facilities. First of all Her Royal Highness will visit the hair salon where she will meet Shannon Reynolds, hairdresser from Age UK, and resident Barbara Rutherford. Her Royal Highness will then meet volunteers from Age Concern Woodley who run the on-site shop.

The next stage of the tour will see Her Royal Highness visiting the restaurant where she will meet a number of ‘silver surfers’ demonstrating their IT skills.

There’s plenty of opportunity for residents to take part in activity and exercise at Alexandra Place.  Residents Carol Lucas and Betty McBeth will be taking part in a Wii exercise activity in a dedicated area.  Occupational therapist Yvonne Ellis will be joined by resident Michael St Jean who will explain to Her Royal Highness more about the spa bathroom, before the tour moves to the therapy suite to meet therapist Carol Green and resident Maureen Pitchfork.

Resident Teresa Amodio will proudly show off her garden at Alexandra Place whilst resident Bessie Sale will invite Her Royal Highness into her apartment.

To mark the end of the visit, Her Royal Highness will join all residents and invited guests in the lounge where she will be invited by the Borough Mayor, Cllr Dianne King, to unveil a plaque.  Pamela Hughes, the very first resident of Alexandra Place, will present her with a posy of flowers.

Alexandra Place is named after former Wokingham Borough Council sheltered housing officer Alexandra Tidd who sadly died in 2006. The idea of the name came from former residents of Crescent House, the scheme previously on the Alexandra Place site, who wanted to remember Alexandra and name the new development after her.

Wokingham Borough Council’s Mayor Cllr Dianne King said: "It will be an honour to welcome Her Royal Highness to Alexandra Place.  There is a real need in the borough for extra care housing, as our population is getting older and this is a great example of a true partnership project.

"The apartments are suitable for a range of older people – from those who are active and have few or no care needs, to those requiring 24-hour care and support. Extra care housing also has the advantage over residential care homes of being private, individual homes that offer security of tenure and promote and enable residents to keep their independence.  It promises to be a memorable day for all the residents and staff and it will be a great way to celebrate their brand new home."

Rod Cahill, chief executive of Catalyst Housing, said: "We’re really proud of Alexandra Place and delighted that it will receive a royal opening. This state-of-the-art home demonstrates how committed we are to building better homes and being the catalyst to create a better community."

Caroline Tiller, chief executive of Central & Cecil, said: "Central & Cecil is very proud to have been involved in a successful partnership, the culmination of which is this modern yet homely scheme for elders of the local community.

"To have Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester here at the opening is an honour, making it a very special day for those who have chosen Alexandra Place as their home and for those involved in its development.  All our efforts and energies are now focused on delivering a high quality service that will respond to the different needs of our residents."

Sara Naylor Wild, locality manager for Housing 21, said: "Housing 21 is delighted to be providing the care at Alexandra Place. It is a wonderful scheme for older people in Woodley, providing excellent accommodation and facilities. The official opening will be a special day for residents and staff."