Leeds care home sale brings £4m surplus

▶TRUSTEES OF the former Leeds care home, Donisthorpe Hall, are expecting a £4 million surplus from the £7.5 million sale of its Moortown premises after creditors have been paid.

And the trustees’ chair, Neil Franklin, has pledged that care of “frail, elderly members of our community” would be a high priority in their considerations.

There was shock and anger within the city’s Jewish community after the announcement last September that the home would be closing because of “very significant” financial difficulties. Donisthorpe had struggled to fill places and its problems had been exacerbated by the pandemic.

“All I can say for now is that it will be quite a while before trustees receive the money,” Mr Franklin told the JC this week.

“We are currently considering options but please be assured that our objectives in relation to the frail, elderly members of our community requiring support remain intact and will inform whatever decisions are made.”

The new owner of the site is Belsize Healthcare, a national operator with 31 homes across England, Scotland and Wales. It is anticipated that the Leeds home will make provision for Jewish residents.

Commenting on the situation, Leeds Jewish Representative Council chair Simon Myerson said: “The fact that many elderly people are able to remain in their own home and live independently longer than was previously possible meant the residential home had been under-utilised for many years.

“The ability to choose independent or assisted living has been made possible by the work of the incredible partnership of our housing association and welfare board.”

He said it had taken “great courage” on the part of the trustees to close Donisthorpe.

“That doesn’t mean it wasn’t heart-wrenching for everyone to witness, for no one more than its final residents and their families. We must learn from their experience.

“We all need to have the strength not only to question if our organisations are needed, sustainable and robust but also to work out how best to decide when it is time to draw a line underneath any project and plan for its closure.”

He hoped the surplus funds would “be administered by an independent trust for the good of the community”.

Our objectives for the frail and elderly will inform our decisions