Age Concern has for some years rented Clarence House from its owners , Leicester City Council, which wanted to increase the rental for the property from £26,000 a year to £90,000 a year when our current lease expired in August 2007. Age Concern trustees considered this to be far more than it could reasonably afford ongoing and considered it unwise to continue with the planned refurbishment until the matter had been resolved. After much negotiation and pressure from the local media, Leicester City Council agreed that Age Concern may purchase the freehold of the property for £1,000,000, most of which was raised from generous donors. Refurbishment and adaptation gives rise to a total ongoing requirement exceeding £750,000 but immediate necessary repairs to the lift and boiler require circa £40,000 to be found in the very short term if vital services are to be preserved. Clarence House is so important to enable Age Concern to meet the current and future needs of older people in Leicester and the surrounding area that our Trustees agreed to give the highest priority to purchasing the freehold of the property. This enables Age Concern Leicester Shire & Rutland to develop a One Stop Resource Centre to meet the changing and growing needs of older people in Leicester and surrounding area. Clarence House will be a place where all older people in the area, their relatives and carers can get the support they need to make their lives fulfilling and enjoyable. The Centre will take an holistic approach to supporting older people, looking at both mental and physical well being to improve the quality of their lives.Clarence House has full access for disabled people including a lift ( though now in need of repair) to the upper floors.