Unique forest nursery gets green light
Wigan Council has approved Millennium Care's unique intergenerational and forest nursery, with ground expected to be broken in the Summer of 2026.
The concept aims to create the first of its kind in the UK, blending generations at the heart of a care village set amidst nature and adjacent to a local nature reserve.
Wigan Council has approved The Nest, which will join three care homes on an existing site in the North West, completing the Standish Care Village. It has been designed by RIBA award-winning London-based architects, Delve Architects.
The Standish Care Village already comprises three care homes, and The Nest will provide a consistent stream of intergenerational activities, one of the Group’s main non-pharmacological approaches to elderly care.
The build will become a central feature within the Standish Care Village, helping to meet a growing need for exceptional childcare in the region, having the potential to support staff, residents’ families and the community.
Carefully designed, The Nest will harness Millennium Care’s 10-acre country site by connecting all senses with nature throughout seasons in a forestry school-style approach.
“We’re delighted to have secured the approval of The Nest. The Standish Care Village is already a thriving community where residents live vibrantly as part of our household model of dementia care. The homes have great relationships with local families, nurseries and schools due to intergenerational sessions at the home, and now this will only grow, allowing us to provide a positive influence on the children who join us.
“Our ambition is to ensure that the spark that comes from mixing the young and older alike becomes part of the natural rhythm and daily life at Standish Care Village with The Nest Nursery. We also recognise that those in our care team who are new parents struggle to return to work owing to a lack of local childcare provision, and this allows babies, toddlers and parents to co-locate on the same site.”
“The Nest in Standish Village is an incredible project for us to be involved in, with an exciting design and client team. The initiative between Millennium Care, Intergenerational England and Delve Architects is a benchmark for showcasing the importance of designing for Intergenerational use. This is a pioneering scheme that we are very proud to be part of, and looking forward to delivering in 2026.”
“As Co-Founder of Intergenerational England, I work nationally with local and central government, as well as across housing, health, education, and care sectors. We are advocating for serious intergenerational thinking to be embedded in how we approach health, social care, planning, and community design. The Nest is a clear and powerful example of this thinking in practice.
“Its proximity to the adjoining care homes offers a rare and invaluable opportunity for structured, meaningful intergenerational connection. The benefits are far-reaching for older residents, care staff, children, parents, and the wider community. We know from both research and practice that this kind of environment supports mental and emotional wellbeing, reduces loneliness, fosters empathy and understanding, and creates a more connected, resilient community for the future.
“The Nest has the potential to become a national exemplar and a place where generations come together not by chance, but by design.”
The Nest will join Lakeside Care Home, Langtree Care Home and Worthington Lake Care Home. The homes currently provide respite, residential, dementia, nursing and nursing dementia care in Standish, Wigan.
