A care home for Greater Manchester’s military veterans has welcomed its residents back after a £12.5 million redevelopment.
Broughton House in Salford has cared for more than 8,000 veterans since it opened to the ex-service community over 100 years ago back in 1916, but the original home was demolished in 2020 to make way for the site to be transformed into the UK’s first-ever veteran care village.
And that impressive £12.5 million project has now officially been completed.
Following the demolition of the original home, the Broughton House site has now been transformed into a modern complex that features a 64-bed care home and six retirement apartments, with photos of the impressive revamp shared online.
Not only that, but the Stoller Wing of the newly-built care home – which has been named in honour of north west businessman and philanthropist Sir Norman Stoller, who donated £4 million to the project – also has a wide array of new facilities, including a gym, a hairdressing and barber’s salon, and a restaurant and bar for the residents.
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The new wing is said to pay homage to Broughton House’s rich history.
Broughton House has cared for more than 8,000 veterans since opening back in 1916 / Credit: Broughton HouseThe Stoller Wing also has a museum that’s filled with memorabilia / Credit: Broughton House (via Lee Boswell Photography)
Within the new Stoller Wing, there is also a dedicated museum that’s filled with fascinating stories of former residents, rare war medals, and historic memorabilia, which is all designed to “keep the memories of the fallen well and truly alive”.
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Refurbishments have also happened in the Jellicoe Wing – which is named after WWI hero Viscount Sir John Jellicoe, who opened the original Broughton House building – and it now has two 16-bedroom households.
The wing also houses our Armed Forces Support Hub, and the six retirement apartments.
Broughton House says the Armed Forces Support Hub focuses on providing welfare support and counselling for ex-service people of all ages living in the local community, as many veterans see their mental health deteriorate during their transition back to civilian life.
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The care village has now welcomed its residents back after the £12.5 million redevelopment / Credit: Broughton HouseThe site has now been transformed into the UK’s first-ever veteran care village / Credit: Broughton House (via Lee Boswell Photography)
Derrick Corfield – a WWII veteran and Broughton House resident – said: “The new care village is ideal for people like myself who have been living alone, as it puts us back into that bigger family again [and] it’s a place that celebrates our history, and understands the things we have done in our lives and been a part of.
“I’m really enjoying the activities, especially the history club, so it will be nice to welcome more veterans to the new care village.”
Broughton House says the new complex has been designed with the purpose of “offering trailblazing provision” for the north west’s ageing armed forces community.
Chief executive Karen Miller said the new amenities provide residents with greater opportunities to be more active and sociable than what many other traditional care homes offer, and helps them to “reignite the camaraderie” they became accustomed to during their time in the armed forces.
“It is immensely pleasing to reach the milestone of seeing our new Veteran Care Village completed,” Karen concluded.
Manchester’s tiny new tiramisu hatch Layr speaks out after receiving influx of ‘hostile’ hate messages
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s tiny new tiramisu hatch has spoken out after receiving a recent influx of ‘hostile’ hate messages and reviews.
Having only opened its doors – or should we say, shutters – at the end of last month (29 January) over in Acoats, Layr is one of Manchester’s newest independent businesses that is selling purely tiramisu, with a menu of three different flavours, each served in individually portioned pots.
Here you can expect classic tiramisu where sponge is soaked in espresso, then layered with vanilla marscapone and cocoa dust.
These freshly-made, alcohol-free and Halal desserts have gone down an absolute treat with residents and visitors to the city alike since opening, but unfortunately, it hasn’t been completely smooth sailing for founder Moona who has admitted over the weekend that they have been receiving a number of ‘hostile’ hate comments and reviews that don’t reflect the service they are providing.
The statement comes after the business teamed up with The Couture Club and influencer Farron Clark for a Valentine’s collaboration over the weekend.
Layr said in its Instagram statement: “As a small independent business, we can’t stay silent when things aren’t right. It’s hard to share, but it has to be said.
“With a heavy heart, we need to address something that’s been happening behind the scenes. Over the past few days, we’ve noticed a pattern that’s been difficult to process. Hostile hate-messages, comments, and reviews. A number of one-star reviews have appeared that don’t feel reflective of real customer experiences… with some of our genuine customer photos have been screenshotted and reposted elsewhere.
Layr has spoken out after receiving an influx of ‘hostile’ hate messages / Credit: The Manc Group
“As a small, new independent business, we take all feedback on board. However instances that appear not to be genuine are disheartening to see.”
They then shared a couple of screenshot images of reviews and comments they were referring to, before adding that: “The industry is already a challenge without these instances. We all need each other’s support and I hope we all succeed in what we set out to achieve.”
The statement concluded: “Let’s spread love… not hate.”
Layr’s post has seen hundreds of likes and comments from customers and other local businesses sharing their support.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
News
Government announces social media crackdown with potential ban for under 16s
Emily Sergeant
The Government has announced a social media crackdown in a bid to keep children safe amid rapid technology changes.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer wants to take ‘immediate action’ to make the online world safer for children.
The new measures announced today include a crackdown on ‘vile’ illegal content created by AI, including fast action to shut a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to abide by illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act or face the consequences of breaking the law.
The Government says it’s also taking new legal powers to lay the groundwork for immediate action following its consultation on children’s wellbeing online carried out earlier this year.
No social media platform should get a free pass when it comes to protecting our kids.
These new powers introduced this week will mean Government ministers can act fast on the findings of the consultation within months, rather than waiting years for new primary legislation every time technology evolves, and this means, crucially, being able to prohibit measures like setting a minimum age limit for social media – which Australia famously became the first country to do so last year – and restricting features like infinite scrolling that are also harmful.
It’s also likely that there will be restrictions introduced on children’s use of AI chatbots, as well as options to age-restrict or limit children’s VPN, and changing the age of digital consent.
The Prime Minister has insisted ‘no platform gets a free pass’.
The Government has announced a social media crackdown with a potential ban for under 16s / Credit: Julian Christ (via Unsplash)
“As a dad of two teenagers, I know the challenges and the worries that parents face making sure their kids are safe online,” Mr Starmer said.
“Technology is moving really fast, and the law has got to keep up. With my Government, Britain will be a leader not a follower when it comes to online safety. The action we took on Grok sent a clear message that no platform gets a free pass.
“Today we are closing loopholes that put children at risk, and laying the groundwork for further action. We are acting to protect children’s wellbeing and help parents to navigate the minefield of social media.”
Emily Sergeant -
4th May 2022 
