GOOD RELATIONS HIRED BY AUDLEY TO DRIVE TO CHANGE BRITISH VIEW ON USA STYLE RETIREMENT

A campaign is underway to change attitudes to retirement villages which are huge in America but are a largely untapped market in the UK.

Audley, part of the Raven Group, has brought in Good Relations to position community villages as an ideal solution to some of the challenges facing Britain’s growing number of retired people.

Soon a quarter of the population will be over the retirement age. Many live in large family houses they no longer really need and struggle to maintain. They worry about security and isolation in later life. Cue the retirement village concept: premium apartments set in the grounds of heritage buildings with bar, restaurant, swimming pool and leisure facilities plus a range of services offering support and companionship.

Good Relations won the contract to promote the concept and Audley developments across the UK following a competitive pitch.

“A million people in the US enjoy this kind of living,” explained Good Relations corporate senior consultant Malcolm Munro, who will lead the campaign, “they like the way retirement villages offer a high quality of life and security.

“It is fair to say that the British public need more convincing. Many still see this kind of living as ‘giving up their home,” which is a rather outdated way of looking at it. With Audley, you buy your apartment and you are free to do what you like. It is about living life to the full in a rather pleasant country club.”

Audley are confident that as cultural resistance is overcome retirement villages will be ‘the next big thing’ in UK property.

“I do believe that we are on the crest of a breaking wave,” said Nick Sanderson, Chief Executive of Raven Audley Court plc, “we are looking forward to working with Good Relations to achieve that critical change of mindset about property and lifestyle.”

The national PR campaign is supported by targeted national and regional advertising.

- Ends -

Attached are photographs of Willcombe Park, Tunbridge Wells, one of the Audley’s flagship communities.

For further enquiries please call Malcolm Munro at Good Relations Corporate on: 0207 861 3217 or 07795 013006. For more information on Good Relations visit www.goodrelations.co.uk

Good Relations is part of the Bell Pottinger Group www.bell-pottinger.co.uk