Royal British Legion plans new Welsh care home

The Royal British Legion plans to open a new care home in Wales, it was revealed today.

The RBL has sold its only previous one - Crosfield House in Rhayader - to Care Inn Limited, which operates 11 care homes in South Wales and Swindon.

Now the Legion says it will look to open a new care home for military personnel at another location in the country in the near future.

The future of Crosfield House had been in the balance since 2008, when it emerged that it was facing a £500,000 deficit.

Crosfield House, the only RBL home in Wales, is home to about 50 elderly ex-servicemen and others, and employs up to 90 staff.

The Legion, in a statement, said today: "The Royal British Legion has exchanged contracts with regards to the sale of Crosfield House. The home is being sold as a going concern, our primary aim.

"On completion of the sale, Crosfield House Ltd, a division of Care Inn, will be responsible for providing care and collecting fees. The RBL set itself the goal of selling the home as a going concern, a difficult objective for many reasons.

"That has been achieved. Now we can begin in earnest the important task of identifying a suitable location for a new care home in Wales."

Sanjiv Joshi, managing director of Care Inn Ltd, added: "Over the last few years the home has suffered significant financial losses but we believe Crosfield House can be turned around to create a sustainable long-term enterprise."