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Friends of the Elderly
Founded in 1905, Friends of the Elderly operates as a registered charity that provides residential, nursing, and dementia care alongside day-care services and...
Friends of the Elderly
Founded in 1905, Friends of the Elderly operates as a registered charity that provides residential, nursing, and dementia care alongside day-care services and individual grants. The organization traces its origins to a small group of volunteers and has since grown under the patronage of the Royal Family — HRH Princess Alexandra serves as President and HRH The Princess Royal as Royal Patron. Its mission is funded through a mix of legacy gifts, public donations, and fees for care services. Friends of the Elderly's deployment is focused on directly owned and operated real estate assets. The charity maintains a portfolio of residential care homes spanning southern England, including Bradbury Court and Perrins House in Malvern, Redcot in Haslemere, Bernard Sunley in Woking, and The Retired Nurses National Home in Bournemouth. Its grant-making arm distributes funds to older individuals facing financial hardship, complementing its operational care-home strategy. The organization is a member of the National Care Forum and Care England, aligning it with not-for-profit care providers and shaping its posture on social-care policy. The charity is led by a Board of Trustees chaired by Chris Maidment. Day-to-day operations are managed by Interim Co-Chief Executives Jennifer Griffiths, who serves as Finance Director, and Mark Wilson, the Chief Operating Officer. The executive team was previously led by CEO Tarek Lowen. In 2025, the organization divested The Old Vicarage care home in Moulsford, Oxfordshire, to Hanning Homes Ltd, reflecting an ongoing rationalization of its residential portfolio. Friends of the Elderly's structural differentiator is its dual identity as a direct care provider and a grant-making charity, a model that embeds its investment activity in operational real estate rather than financial securities. The charity owns and manages the facilities where its beneficiaries reside, creating a governance structure where asset management and care delivery sit under the same trustee board — an operational posture distinct from endowed foundations that outsource both investment management and programme delivery.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1905
Location
Region
Europe
Country
United Kingdom
City
Woking
Corporate office
Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom
Additional offices
Luton · Haslemere · Alton · Coulsdon · Colchester · Malvern · Bournemouth · Reading
Principals
Chris Maidment
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Jennifer Griffiths
Finance Director and Interim Co-Chief Executive
Mark Wilson
Chief Operating Officer and Interim Co-Chief Executive
Tarek Lowen
Chief Executive Officer
HRH The Princess Royal
Royal Patron
HRH Princess Alexandra
President
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
How does Friends of the Elderly deploy its capital?
The charity deploys capital through directly owned and operated residential care homes rather than financial portfolios. Its real estate holdings include over a dozen facilities providing nursing, dementia, and residential care. A separate grant-making arm distributes funds to older individuals facing financial hardship, creating a blended model of operational care delivery and direct charitable support.
Who governs Friends of the Elderly's assets and care operations?
A Board of Trustees chaired by Chris Maidment governs both the charity's care-home portfolio and its grant-making activities. Day-to-day operations are managed by Interim Co-Chief Executives Jennifer Griffiths and Mark Wilson, with Griffiths overseeing finances and Wilson running operations. This unified trustee structure means asset management and care delivery are not separated.
What is Friends of the Elderly's relationship with the British Royal Family?
HRH Princess Alexandra serves as President of the charity, and HRH The Princess Royal serves as Royal Patron. These are ceremonial and ambassadorial roles that provide public visibility and endorsement but do not involve operational or investment governance.
Does Friends of the Elderly make financial investments or hold a securities portfolio?
The charity's investment posture is focused on direct ownership of operational care-home real estate rather than holding a diversified financial securities portfolio. Grants are funded from donations and care fees, not from endowment returns, and while the charity may hold reserves, its deployment is dominated by property and direct care services rather than traditional institutional investment allocations.
How does Friends of the Elderly's grant-making programme work?
The charity operates a dedicated grant-making arm that provides financial assistance to older people facing hardship. Grants are typically modest and targeted at specific needs — such as home repairs, mobility equipment, or utility costs — rather than functioning as a large-scale institutional grantmaker. This programme runs alongside, not instead of, its care-home operations.
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