Known for its resident-led culture and open-minded approach to activities, St Albans is a contemporary community for over-65s who love to make the most of every day. The community has an on-site café (Café Caledonian) and a hair salon. It also has a fleet of electric vehicles for Living Well apartment residents to share, which means you could save on costs of car ownership.

As a central Christchurch retirement village, St Albans is handy to shops, parks, galleries, museums, gardens and historic places. The restaurants and cafés of Oxford Terrace are just minutes away, and the community runs regular van outings for shopping, special events and scenic drives.

St Albans has an inclusive and entrepreneurial culture where everyone’s encouraged to join in. Monthly meetings ensure residents can easily get involved with a range of projects, like making products for the community’s craft shop, running a stand at the local market day and re-inventing garden areas.

Here’s a quick summary of how you can live at St Albans:

• Living Well apartment: These new two-bedroom apartments for independent living have under-floor heating, double glazing and a delightful outlook. The master bedroom comes with an ensuite and walk-in wardrobe. You also get a full kitchen, an extra toilet and either a patio or balcony. The weekly fee includes three meals a week (lunch or dinner), a weekly house clean and use of the community’s electric vehicles.

• Serviced apartment: If you need more daily assistance, St Albans new studio or one-bedroom serviced apartments could tick all the boxes. You can choose a care package or create your own tailored package of services. Options include meals, morning and afternoon teas, towels and linen, house cleaning and laundry. All apartments come with 24/7 emergency call monitoring.

• Care room: Rest home and hospital-level rooms are in one central building, with easy access to the dining room, lounges, activities and facilities. Care residents have full control over how their day is organised, including when they have breakfast and what activities they do. To provide a more family-like atmosphere, care residents are grouped into households that are supported by a consistent team of helpers. Read less