Work Starts on Admiral Jellicoe House – RNBT’s Centenary Care Home Project
Work has started on building Admiral Jellicoe House, the state-of-the–art care home for naval veterans in Portsmouth. The impressive 66-bed home, named Admiral Jellicoe House after the founder of RNBT, is being built on Locksway Road between the cricket ground and the park.
Portsmouth City Council approved plans for the project on 23rd October, and since then preparations for the construction completed successfully. The building work is being undertaken, on behalf of RNBT, by LNT Care Developments Ltd, a specialist care home development company with a proven track record of designing and building outstanding care homes throughout the UK. If all goes well the Home will be finished in the late Spring of next year.
RNBT Chairman of Trustees, Captain Nick Fletcher, said: ‘It’s really great news that work has now started on building Admiral Jellicoe House. This care home will further increase our support for naval veterans in Portsmouth by meeting the residential care needs of those who have served their country in peace and war. I am so pleased that the pandemic has not stopped this important project, which is great news for naval veterans and for the City of Portsmouth. We are delighted that we can now start to plan for the opening of this wonderful care home.’
The Royal Navy fully supports this project. The strength of the relationship between the Trust and the Royal Navy was once again made clear when the First Sea Lord, Admiral Tony Radakin, gave the new home a badge taken from the Ship’s Crest of a battleship that was going to be called HMS JELLICOE in 1938.
The First Sea Lord, Admiral Tony Radakin, said: ‘I was happy to hear that construction can now begin. The adoption of the name ‘Admiral Jellicoe House’ is a fitting tribute and will be an excellent reminder of the connection the house has with its Founder.’
The Battleship’s crest would have looked like this: The badge of Admiral Jellicoe House, looks like this: Nick Jellicoe, the naval author and grandson of Admiral Jellicoe, said: ‘I am thrilled that the Sea Griffin badge, taken from Admiral Jellicoe’s Coat of Arms, will feature as the badge of the Home. I am touched that the First Sea Lord, Admiral Tony Radakin, is supporting this important project and has taken time from the business of running the Royal Navy to contribute to its success. I am very proud that RNBT has named the home ‘Admiral Jellicoe House’ after John Jellicoe, my grandfather, the Trust’s founder and first benefactor, which will be a lasting legacy to his humanity and his vision.’
