History

Horsfall House exudes a friendly, welcoming atmosphere, reflective of its special history. The home is a true accolade to the people of Minchinhampton; the product of many years of passionate, dedicated fundraising by a local community who value the importance of maintaining the welfare of the older generation.

The need for a good care system for the elderly was realised in the early 80's, when the charity, Minchinhampton Centre for the Elderly (MCE) was founded. Initially, a day centre was set up in the common room of a local sheltered housing unit and run by a qualified nurse three times a week, with the help of local volunteers. The day centre quickly provoked an awareness in the area of the value of community support for the elderly; this led to plans being developed for the building of a dedicated day centre, with residential nursing provision. Ambitious fundraising began: the nurse at the day centre became a paid fund raiser and ran a small office to coordinate the work. The Princess Royal, Princess Anne agreed to become the Patron of MCE and before long, Help the Aged appointed a fund raising advisor to add confidence to the enterprise in its early stages.

By 1989, architectural plans began to take shape for a purpose-built centre; the location of this would be a field in Minchinhampton, donated to the charity by a former resident, Miss Horsfall. In 1994, Horsfall House was officially opened; in its first incarnation it provided day care for up to 20 elderly people, and residential nursing care for 22 physically infirm and 8 people with severe memory problems.

Following extensions to the original building in 1998 and 2008, Horsfall House now boasts a total of 42 beds; of these, 22 are in the General Unit which caters for the physically infirm, while the 20 in the Cotswold Unit accommodate those with dementia and severe memory problems. Our busy day centre offers social and physical activities and relaxation to those still living at home.