Gary Neville opens £2m dementia support extension at care home

Townfield Care is a family owned company which is committed to achieving the highest standards of care, and as part of their £2m investment, they have recently opened up a large extension to their property in Sawley, the Ribble Valley Care Home. They are dementia specialists, and the property has been specially designed to help people with the condition to live safely and comfortably.

Studies have found that professional footballers are three and a half times more likely to develop dementia and other serious neurological diseases. It has been a long held belief that repeated heading of footballs leads to an increased risk of dementia, and the University of Glasgow's Brain Injury Group proved this in a landmark study in 2019, and proved again by researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden in 2023.

The Ribble Valley Care Home is proud to take care of more than one ex footballer, and have a dedicated activities team for improving mental wellbeing. Other elements to assist in dementia care include colour coding of bedrooms throughout all aspects of their décor, and directional signs being pictoral as well as in writing.

John Timmins, director of Townfield Care, commented: "This renovation and extension has been a huge project, and we're delighted to be able to offer 23 additional rooms and 10 premium rooms, which have beautiful views of the surrounding area and the River Ribble which is right on our doorstep. We've built a lovely conservatory for our residents to relax in, and we're looking forward to taking care of them and keeping them safe and happy."

Gary Neville, ex England footballer and entrepreneur was there to officially open the new extension. He commented: "This is an absolutely lovely property and I'm really pleased that Townfield Care can offer specialist help to former footballers. I know the work that Michael and John and the family have put into this, and the team, over a couple of years. It's been a labour of love. It's taken a lot of hard work to get this care home into the condition it currently is and the passion that they have for delivering the services.

"I'm an ex football player, and I think over the last 10 years, football players have become very aware of the risk of dementia and the way in which dementia has affected so many who played the game. It is heartening to know that there are good facilities and good care available for people.

"Football is a community like anything else, and I was part of the PFA for many, many years and looking at the aftercare programmes. This is a critical facility in delivering services that is much needed, not just to football players, but to people in the northwest of England.

"Well done to Michael, well done to John, well done to all the team here who deliver the services. They're doing a great job. It's the first time I've been and I'm blown away by the standards that I've seen inside!"

Ribble Valley Care Home is located in the centre of the beautiful village of Sawley, on the edge of the Forest of Bowland and overlooking the River Ribble. There are stunning views of the Ribble Valley looking across the river and views up to Pendle Hill. It is surrounded by countryside and has beautiful mature gardens and a courtyard in the centre of the home, for all the
residents and visitors to the home to enjoy.

The Townfield Care Group is a family owned company which is committed to achieving the highest standards of care. The company operates three Residential Care Homes, a Mobility shop and a Home Care Service. Ribble Valley Care Home is located at Sawley Old Brow, Sawley, Clitheroe BB7 4LF - telephone 01200 441205.

You can see the video here: https://fb.watch/rFROUOSSS6/