A Christian care home which has been running in Ipswich for more than 40 years is set to close with current residents being offered new accommodation near Stowmarket.

The trustees of Ormonde Christian Home for the Elderly, in Westerfield Road, say they have been aware for some time that the property is “becoming unsuitable for the needs of elderly residents”.

All permanent residents at the home, which overlooks Christchurch Park, will be offered a place at Finborough Court, Great Finborough, after a deal was struck to build a new wing at the site.

The Ormonde House Trust has agreed to work with the Pilgrims’ Friend Society on a plan to build the new wing, and the Victorian Westerfield Road building will close once the new rooms are available in Great Finborough.

Staff at the Ipswich home will be made redundant, but are being invited to apply for jobs at the Great Finborough property.

A statement from the trust said: “The trustees of Ormonde Christian Care Home have for some time been aware that the Westerfield Road property is becoming unsuitable for the needs of elderly residents as well as being increasingly reliant on large gifts to be viable.

“The trustees have been carefully considering and exploring all the options available to better meet the needs of older people in a caring Christian environment.

“This has led us to examine options with Pilgrims’ Friend Society, a charity that has very similar Christian objectives and that has a modern home at Great Finborough.

“We are pleased to announce that we have agreed to work together on a plan to provide a new-build wing at their site at Great Finborough.

“All of our permanent residents at Ormonde Christian Care Home will be offered a place at Great Finborough in the rooms best suited to their needs.

“This will mean that the Ormonde Christian Care Home would close once the new rooms are available.

“We are also pleased that our staff will be offered the opportunity to apply for jobs at the Great Finborough home.”

Sheila Warnes, chair of trustees at Ormonde Christian Care Home said: “This is really good news for the residents of Ormonde as it means that they will continue to be cared for in a Christian environment and in more modern and suitable accommodation.

“The staff team at Ormonde Christian Care Home will be encouraged to apply for roles at Great Finborough and both Ormonde Christian Care Home and Pilgrims’ Friend Society will make sure that the move is as seamless as possible for all our residents.”