UK: Later living community developer and operator, Inspired Villages, has announced the appointment of Angie Harding as its new operations director.
Harding will now lead the group’s operations function with a focus on strategy, operational efficiency and supporting service excellence across its eight villages as the company grows.
She arrives from The ExtraCare Charitable Trust and brings a wealth of experience in the later living sector. Working with the Trust for 16 years, Harding oversaw the business’ growth ambitions, scaling it from five to 21 retirement villages focusing on a healthy and active lifestyle.
Harding’s appointment to the Inspired Villages’ team comes at an exciting time for the business as it continues to deliver its plan, supported by Legal & General and NatWest Pension Funds’ £500 million equity commitment, to create 34 communities with 5,100 purpose-built homes for up to 8,000 residents. She will join Inspired’s executive committee representing the operations function to continue driving forward its future plans.
With eight villages currently in operation, supporting over 1,200 residents, the ninth village to open will be Millfield Green in Bedfordshire this autumn. Inspired also recently acquired a new site in Edenbridge, Kent, and has a number of other villages under construction or going through the planning process.
Inspired Villages CEO Jamie Bunce said: “I’m delighted to welcome Angie to the business as operations director and know she will play a pivotal role in leading our operations function, supporting the creation of communities where people can live the best years of their life. Her experience in the sector will be hugely beneficial as we maintain a commitment to putting customers first as we scale at pace and open more villages.
“Angie’s appointment is a testament to our desire to deliver service excellence to all residents, as we drive forward our exciting growth plans,” he added.
Harding said: “I’m really looking forward to joining the team at Inspired Villages. I not only admire the company’s impressive achievements to this point but I’m also inspired by a team who are clearly committed to the health and wellbeing of its residents, whilst wanting to have a positive impact on wider society too.
“Integrated Retirement Communities play such a huge part in addressing the shortfall in housing for older people and I’m delighted to be joining somewhere so committed to delivering this need in such a responsible and innovative fashion,” she added.
