Althorp Village – A unique lifestyle

Choosing the right home to retire in can be a long and difficult process. A retiree should take into account not only the location of their retirement but also the amenities on offer. An excellent combination of the two is rare but highly sought-out by prospective residents. Althorp Village is one of those organisations, offering the unique style of a resort, a number of dedicated facilities, and the highest level of personalized care to its residents.

Althorp Village is situated across a 10-hectare lot, located in the beautiful city of Tauranga. Jane and David Church, along with Joanne and Talbot Munro, have owned, developed, and operated the land since the early ‘90s. Back then, the land was being used as an organic kiwifruit orchard though the two families always had bigger plans for it in mind. In 1999, four years after the land was legislatively brought inside the city boundaries, they were approached by a business man who was very keen in placing a geriatric hospital in the area and who pleaded with them to sell their land. After careful consideration, the families decided that even though they were not willing to sell, they were still very much interested in being part of a process for hospital-level care.

Soon after, a specialized 60-bed geriatric hospital was built on a corner of the land. Since then, the number of beds has steadily increased to 117. Once the original construction was finished, the families knew that they also wanted to create a retirement village which would operate alongside the hospital. As such, Althorp Village was born as an independently-owned retirement village located within hand’s reach of a specialized hospital. Importantly, the hospital is leased out and is not operated by the families themselves. With that said, there is a mutual agreement between the hospital and Althorp Village which gives priority access into a bed if required.

The village’s development has been an ongoing process for about 16 years but that process will soon come to an end. Right now, Althorp Village is seeing the construction of an additional 16 two-bedroom apartments. When that is done, the development of the village will finally be completed. A nearby lot, which was actually sold by the families, is now also being developed with a variety of shops including a gym, dentist, chemist, doctor, and a supermarket. This augments the viability of the village tremendously and will give the residents a new location to conduct their shopping without having to travel away from the tranquility of Althorp.

Serving every resident’s need

The location where Althorp Village is situated is truly breathtaking. Most of the villas have elevated views of the city or the mountainside while the facilities are enriched in spectacular gardens maintained by a dedicated crew. The village was specifically designed in such a way as to complement the natural beauty of the lot while the facilities were developed to offer the best modern services possible. This has allowed the retirement village to maintain the naturally beautiful environment while giving the residents whatever they could ask for as far as facilities and activities go.

To that end, Althorp Village offers a range of housing options which may suit the needs of different residents. According to David, the families wanted to have vertical integration right from the outset. As an exception to the rule, the hospital was built first but a dedicated area for independent living was always a part of the long-term plan. There are now 14 serviced apartments, 23 apartments attached to the main facilities building, and a number of villas. Accommodation varies from 1 to 3 bedrooms and each of them is equipped with separate rooms for the bedrooms, lounge, and bathrooms.

A lively place to call home

Heavy emphasis is also placed on the fact that the residents should be able to call Althorp Village their home. Their independence, dignity, and personal needs are deeply respected by the organisation and the owner-operators in extension. The Church and Munro families maintain an open-door policy while they also hold regular meetings with the residents. The fact that the organisation is privately owned means that any and all issues that may arise can be solved quickly. The residents also have their own committee where they can raise concerns and share their thoughts with their fellows as well as the village management.

The staff are also very happy with the organisation: ““If you were talking to our staff, I think they’d say we are pretty good bosses! Some of them have been with us for a lot of years. We are a family business, that’s the thing. We don’t have to go to boards to make decisions, they are made quickly and efficiently and I think we are very effective as a result of that. We are also very conscious on how we spend our money and I think that’s very important to keep things moving ahead”, says David.

This proactive approach is found in other areas of the village as well. The residents are entirely involved in the village’s activities. Althorp makes it clear to everyone that the village belongs to the residents and that they can do as they please with the facilities on offer. There are over 20 activities operated by the residents themselves and the vast majority of them have no need for outside interventions though they may sometimes ask the staff for assistance. For example, they often organize their own communal meals and even invite chefs over to cook in the commercial kitchen. Generally, the managers are only involved in an overview capacity as the residents are perfectly capable of running things on their own.

Thankfully, there is a huge range of activities and facilities on offer for the residents. When the weather permits, the residents can enjoy a full sized bowling green, shuffle board, golf croquet, petanque, and tennis areas as well as join the walking group. Indoors, there is a heated pool which also offers aqua aerobics classes, two spa pools, a gym, a hairdresser, indoor bowls, table tennis, darts, tai chi, snooker and pool, a variety of board games, a fully equipped theatre with a large screen, a library with a wide selection of books, newspapers, and magazines, a dedicated arts and crafts room, a hobbies shed, and a lot more. Residents are also involved in other activities such as a choir and personal gardening.

A strong partnership which looks to the future

The Church and Munro families are also still involved in Althorp Village though they were much more hands-on when the development was at its peak. Now, they have selected a number of competent staff who take care of the day-to-day operations of the village. Even so, they check in a few times per week, meet with residents regularly, and try to personalize everything as much as they can. They wish to create a positive, friendly environment where people feel right at home. Building the village in a north-facing location where the sun shines almost all day was also a conscious decision on their part as they wish for the village to have a positive impact in every aspect of their residents’ lives.

“It’s important to us as directors that we personalize everything. In choosing the staff that we’ve got, for example. We’ve got people that have very good people skills, who are cheerful. Furthermore, having sunshine come to your place all the time, as the houses are all built to the sun, makes people positive about life. We do everything we possibly can to create a happy atmosphere. And if there are any issues, and there are very few, we try and nullify them as quickly as possible”, explains David.

The Munro and Church families wish to maintain their equal partnership going into the future and to ensure that Althorp Village is one of the best retirement villages in terms of providing a friendly atmosphere that people can call home while staying active and interacting with their neighbours. So far, they have managed to create a great organisation which encompasses everything that a retiree may want from such a village and the future certainly looks promising. With nearby developments taking off and integrated plans for future investments, including the instalment of fibre optics internet throughout the village, Althorp will certainly retain its popularity for years to come.