Aveley Lodge Care Home, previously known as Aveley Lodge Retirement Home, was born out of an idea by original owner Robin Parmenter and his neighbour, Dr Tony Snell. Robin, an NHS mental health charge nurse at the time, helped Tony to convert, adapt, decorate and refit Tony’s old three bedroomed bungalow to create an 8-bedroom home designed specifically for caring for the elderly in what they hoped would be a home from home environment.

On 25th July 1989, the Major of Colchester, Dr Sanderson, officially opened Aveley Lodge which was registered to take up to 12 long term residents, with some sharing bedrooms. Robin not only owned, ran, and carried out remedial work at Aveley Lodge but he also helped with care work and work in the kitchen all the while still working as a charge nurse right up until 1996 when he retired from the NHS!

In 1995, due to demand, the first extension was added which meant residents no longer had to share bedrooms either. This also included the reception area you see today and included six extra bedrooms, a staff room, dining room and extra sitting room. In 1999, the right wing was added creating a further four bedrooms, a communal bathroom and sitting area. The 1990’s was a tough financial time for a lot of businesses, but Aveley lodge managed to keep going. Unfortunately, with tougher restrictions and regulations being placed upon the care industry at that time, meant Robin found it harder to keep the business running solely by himself. In 2006, Robin’s son Michael and daughter Deborah took over the ownership and day to day running of Aveley Lodge whilst Robin became a silent partner. Michael was appointed the Registered Care Home Manager (RCHM) too.

In 2010, Aveley Lodge underwent a huge refurbishment of the kitchen, extending, modernising, and bringing it up to the standards required for today’s strict food hygiene environment. At the same time, Suzanne Parmenter, Michael’s wife, left her highly pressurised legal job and joined Aveley Lodge to support Michael and Deborah as a domestic and care worker before climbing her way up the ladder to HR Manager then subsequently, PR Manager. In 2016, Deborah’s son Jake joined the family business as a Care Assistant and enjoyed his time with us before leaving for university to study Business and Finance. In 2019, Deborah’s daughter Madeline also joined the team as an Activities Assistant, a role she enjoyed immensely too before leaving for a career in charity work.

In 2014, the biggest project in Aveley’s history to date took place which saw a huge extension placed on the rear of the property. It was also at this time Robin decided to leave the business altogether and bow out of Aveley Lodge after 25 years. Also in this year, the company commissioned a local landscape designer to design a special sensory garden for Aveley’s rear garden.

In the Summer of 2019, Aveley celebrated its 30^th birthday in style by holding a huge colourful garden party and afternoon tea for all staff, residents, and their families, past and present, to enjoy.  In 2021, Aveley Lodge began a final, huge refurbishment of the whole premises and in 2023, was granted official permission by the Care Quality Commission to officially register as a 28-bed care home with Michael taking the hard decision as well to step down from his role as RCHM and passing the reigns to our new Care Home Manager Stephanie Philbrick. However, Michael still to this day, remains very active in the running of the business as co-owner with Deborah.

In 2024, the final phase of this enormous building project is currently underway with completion due in the Autumn, providing new communal spaces, kitchen, staff room and medication room as well as a new reception area, all to provide our top-class service to even more people.

Therefore, after almost four memorable decades, we as a family, are still very excited about what the future holds for this successful care home. We will remain true and committed to our key principles and continue to take this home from strength to strength.