The families of Lord Sugar and Gerald Ronson have made “game-changing” funding pledges towards Jewish Care’s Redbridge care and community campus development.

Although the amounts have not been revealed, their commitments — together with funds already raised by the Redbridge Aid Golf Society — have brought the amount needed to be generated from the community down to £5 million. The charity receives no statutory aid for capital schemes.

The project, which is awaiting planning permission, will be based on the current Redbridge Jewish Community Centre site, formerly known as Sinclair House.

Due to open in summer 2025, it will comprise community space, a centre for people with dementia and a 66-bed care home, replacing Jewish Care’s current local home, Vi and John Rubens House. The charity’s area social work and meals-on-wheels teams will also be on site.

The Sugar family have been long-time Jewish Care backers, “generously supporting services in Essex and East London, in addition to their ongoing support for the wider organisation”.
This has included “the substantial donation of a Sugar wing at both Vi and John Rubens House and the Redbridge Jewish Community Centre”.

Jewish Care also cites the “avid and incredibly generous support” of Gerald and Dame Gail Ronson.

Dame Gail’s first involvement in the organisation dates back to 1983, seven years before it became Jewish Care. She went on to become a trustee and is now its honorary president.

The family has more recently funded the Ronson Family Community Centre at Jewish Care’s Sandringham campus in Stanmore, having previously supported the construction of the charity’s flagship campus in Golders Green.

Lord Sugar said his family was “proud to be supporting the exciting development of a new care and community campus in Redbridge.

“Our family have had a long and deep association with Jewish Care’s services in Redbridge, where my late mother was a resident at Vi and John Rubens House. We are absolutely delighted to be helping our older community live with dignity and compassion in facilities that deliver high quality care on a state-of-the-art campus.

“We hope our commitment will be a catalyst for Jewish Care’s other local supporters to join us and the Ronson family in making this project a reality, which the Essex and East London community truly deserves.”

Dame Gail Ronson recalled a family connection to the Redbridge community going back many decades.

“When I first became involved in the organisation, the Sinclair House site was an independent community centre that was on the brink of closure. Gerald and I wanted to do all we could to help save it and hosted a fundraising event, which we were delighted stopped it from closing. We have had the privilege of seeing it thrive.

“We are delighted to play our role in establishing a new facility for the next generation in a community, which we know is so very special.”

Thanking the donors, Jewish Care life president Lord Levy said “their exceptional gifts will have a far-reaching impact on the older Jewish community in Redbridge and Essex.

“Meeting the increasing and changing needs of our ageing community is undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges we face.

“The innovative and exciting development of a care and community campus on the Sinclair House site is a hugely meaningful response to that challenge for our Essex and East London community, which will touch the lives of so many.”