What is Morden College
Who We Are
Morden College is a Charity dedicated to supporting older people. Founded in 1695 by the pioneering merchant, Sir John Morden, the Charity has been at the forefront of enriching older people’s lives for more than 300 years. Today the Charity’s core purpose is to provide older people who are in need with a home for life, to support them as they grow older, via our Health and Wellbeing team, Domiciliary Care team and, if the need arises, residential nursing care. We are a strong community, committed to enabling the older people we support to have the highest quality of life, for the rest of their life, living independently for as long as possible.Where We Are
Set in well-maintained and award-winning grounds, the Charity’s homes are located on two sites in south-east London – in Blackheath and Beckenham. In total, we have more than 200 flats where our beneficiaries can live independently, and 60 en-suite bedrooms in Cullum Welch Court, the Charity’s residential care home, which provides personal, nursing and dementia care 24/7, as well as chiropody services.
How Does It Work?
All our beneficiaries pay a financial contribution towards the running of the Charity, in return for the home they are given, rather than a weekly or monthly rent. The contribution is set at a rate substantially below the market, for example well below what our beneficiaries would otherwise have to pay in rent in the local areas where the Charity’s homes for its beneficiaries are located.
Shared Experiences, a Caring Community
We foster a community atmosphere within which people contribute to College life when they can, respect each other’s privacy and dignity and, above all, live life to the full and have fun. Life at Morden College is as full as you want it to be, depending, of course, on your own personal mobility or health. In addition to being provided with a home and support if required, there are many extracurricular and enrichment opportunities on offer to our beneficiaries in the form of outings, events, entertainment and clubs, much of it led by our beneficiaries. Typically there are more than 100 such occasions a year, as well as keenly fought competitions.
Supporting You to Live Independently
Our homes are intended for independent living, for those who, upon admission, are able to live independently without the need for nursing or domiciliary care, whether living singly or as a couple. Beneficiaries are encouraged to live independently; they can make use of all that Morden College has to offer and can participate fully in the life of the College, as much or as little as they wish.
Having said that, the health and wellbeing of our beneficiaries is at our core and underpins everything we do at Morden College. Our aim is to ensure that once you become a beneficiary, and if it becomes necessary, we act in partnership with you and your family, and particularly your next of kin, to ensure that the challenges of getting older can be properly navigated, allowing you to continue to live independently for longer; or if that is not possible then to work together to find suitable care solutions. We are here to support you when you are faced with challenges that you might otherwise have to face alone.
Additional Care Facilities
We have a domiciliary care service in place for those who live at Blackheath who either temporarily or permanently need that extra support, a physio-technician, to which you can have access once you have been referred by a GP or hospital. Weekly chiropody appointments are available in our College Medical Centre in Blackheath. We also offer a 24/7 lifeline and emergency pendants. Ultimately, we encourage you to look after yourself, whether that be in the well-equipped gym in Alexander Court for use by all, exercises classes and sporting events or simply walking around the extensive grounds.
Admissions Information
The Charity will not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, gender, creed, sexual orientation, or religion; we welcome applications from single people, married couples or those in partnerships. Qualifying individuals, or their next of kin, can apply to the Charity for accommodation in a flat for independent living. Once an individual has been accepted into the Charity as a ‘resident beneficiary’ they are automatically eligible to use all services, including those in our residential care home, after an assessment of the need for care has been made by our qualified staff.
