New Merger Between Elysian, Audley Group Creates Largest Retirement Village Provider In The Uk

A merger between two companies, Audley Group and Elysian Residences has created a company that is now the largest retirement village provider in the U.K.

The newly combined company is slated to span 30 villages, both currently open and in the pipeline, accounting for about 3,000 individual properties. The merger brings together three retirement villages brands Elysian, Audley Villages and a middle-market senior living brand called Mayfield Villages.

The scope of the new combined group creates a combined sales value of over £3 billion, which at today’s exchange rate translates to about $3.87 billion. Care Home Professional first reported the news Tuesday.

The three village brands will now sit under a new corporate entity led by Gavin Stein as CEO, Nick Sanderson as chair.Stein is under the deal remaining on as CEO of Elysian Residences and Sanderson is remaining as CEO of the Audley and Mayfield brands.

A spokesperson for both Audley and Elysian said that in the U.K., the senior living sector “needs scale” as demographic shifts bring more demand to U.K.-based senior living providers while the National Health Service (NHS) and social care systems “are under growing pressure.”

“Combining the expertise and heritage of Audley Group and Elysian Residences brings together sector leaders to accelerate development and maximise opportunities,” the spokesperson told SHN on Tuesday. “This is important for the whole sector. It is still small, and we need to be working together to create the units that the market needs. Having scale in the sector attracts investment, and what benefits Audley and Elysian, will benefit others in the sector.”

All needed regulatory approvals have been secured and the merger agreement has been signed.

In the U.K., retirement villages offer older adults a range of property types and housing that are specifically designed for those 55 or older. Both Elysian Residences and Audley are Integrated Retirement Communities (IRCs), a concept where residents can access care and support in their homes, scaled to required needs and care staff are available 24-hours a day.

Compared to the U.S. continuing care retirement community model which often ends with rehabilitation and skilled nursing or hospice, IRCs provide care for residents in their homes “through a regulated service,” a spokesperson explained to SHN.

Audley Group and Elysian are both based in the U.K., but the country is heating up for investment from U.S.-based companies looking to expand abroad.

The retirement housing market in the UK is facing a major supply gap similar to what’s happening in the U.S. U.K. residents 65 and older now hold £2.6 trillion in housing wealth, yet only 30,000 retirement homes are being built annually, well below the 50,000 needed. In 2024, £1.25 billion in new investment flooded into the sector, according to the latest Knight Frank U.K. Seniors Housing Market Update published in June.

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