Brunelcare Celebrates 85 years of Caring for Older People Across the Southwest

Bristol-based charity Brunelcare is celebrating its 85th anniversary on Sunday 18th October 2026, marking more than eight decades of supporting older people and helping them to live fulfilling, independent lives.

Founded in Bristol in October 1941 as the Old People’s Welfare Committee (OPWC), the charity was established during the Bristol Blitz, at a time when the city and its residents faced significant hardship. Its original mission was simple but vital: to “keep them warm, keep them fed, keep them alive”.

Since those early beginnings, Brunelcare has grown and evolved to meet the changing needs of older people and their communities. Today, the charity provides six care homes, three extra care housing sites, 30 sheltered housing sites and home care support to more than 2,000 people across Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Somerset.

The organisation’s vision, “Later living that makes the most of every moment”, reflects its ambition to help people maintain their independence, wellbeing and quality of life.

Brunelcare’s history reflects a longstanding commitment to responding to the needs of local people. In 1942, the organisation helped establish Uganda Hostel in Brislington, Bristol, providing accommodation for people to live independently. Over the following decades, its work expanded to include housing for older people, with hot meal deliveries becoming an important part of its community support.

In 1958, Bristol Older People’s Welfare was incorporated, followed by an ambitious programme to develop sheltered housing during the 1960s. By 1973, the charity was providing accommodation for more than 900 people. The organisation then became Bristol Age Care in 1975 before adopting the name Brunelcare in 1998, reflecting its growing reach across the region.

Its development continued through investment in specialist care and support, including new care homes, approaches to dementia care and the opening of Orchard Grove in 2015, Bristol’s first dedicated short-stay reablement centre supporting people discharged from hospital.

Sonia Furzland, Brunelcare’s CEO said: “It’s a real honour to be part of Brunelcare during such a significant milestone. Reaching 85 years is a fantastic achievement for any organisation, and particularly for a growing, not-for-profit charity like ours. We’ve come such a long way over the past eight and a half decades, and I’m sure our founders would be incredibly proud to see how far we’ve come and the difference we’re continuing to make in the lives of the people and communities we support.”