A new care home is one step closer to opening after it has officially opened its marketing suite.

The new Fountains Lodge Care Home in Southborough is due to open this autumn and the launch of this suite provides those considering residential dementia and nursing dementia care for older people with the opportunity to see the facilities first hand.

The presentation at the 74 bed care home was attended by students from Barnardo's Meadows School and Robert Prance, from the Southborough and High Brooms Town Forum.

To mark the opening, the new home manager, Julie Taylor presented Mike Price, Principal of Meadows School, and pupils, with a cheque for £500.00 for the school to buy outdoor equipment.

Pupils from Meadows School were originally involved in the ground breaking ceremony last year, when they buried a time capsule on the site of the new home.

Mike Price, Principal of Meadows School, said: “We are delighted to have received this donation from Bupa for the school.

"Our pupils were thrilled to be involved in the ground breaking ceremony earlier last year and to get a preview of the home today.

“We look forward to continuing our relationship with the home and meeting the new residents.”

Julie Taylor, Home Manager at Bupa’s Fountains Lodge Care Home, has 17 years experience in the care sector looking after people with a variety of complex needs. Julie said: “Today has been an extremely enjoyable day for the whole team.

“It’s been wonderful to see so many people join us to see what Fountains Lodge has to offer and to meet some of the wonderful people who will work here."

Bupa, the second biggest care home provider in the UK, has made a £10.5 million investment into building the new home that offers residential and nursing care.

Its state-of-the-art facilities include a cinema, hair salon, activity suite and children’s play area, as well as sensory gardens.

The Town Forum has supported the naming of the home - after the landmark Southborough Fountain - and its residential wings, to ensure they are in keeping with the local area.

Robert Prance from the Southborough and High Brooms Town Forum who attended the launch event commented: “We have enjoyed working with the home to explore names which mean something to the local area. We all agree that Fountains Lodge is a perfect fit.”