With a 98.8% Yes vote there is no doubt that residents in all 14 shared Abbeyfield Houses are pleased with the prospect.

The move to Blackwood will protect the future of the Abbeyfield residents and employees. Abbeyfield made the decision to partner with Blackwood because they share a similar purpose and commitment to help people live independently.

Nance Smith, chair of Abbeyfield Scotland, said: “We are pleased that after much discussion and focusing on what matters most for our residents, they have got a great solution for the future – which they clearly have endorsed in this vote.

“The transfer will allow more investment for their homes, enhance services to support independent living and keep rents affordable.”

Julie McDowell, chair of Blackwood, added: “We are delighted that Abbeyfield residents have welcomed our engagement with them.

“Like Blackwood, Abbeyfield has a long history of helping people to live independently and we’re privileged to be able to continue its legacy.

“Our team really enjoyed meeting the residents and we look forward to building our relationship further with them and with their highly valued staff teams.

“We’ll be bringing our technology and services to our new customers and 76 new staff members – creating a modern independent living model which we believe will be in great demand in all the communities Abbeyfield currently serves.”

Blackwood and Abbeyfield will now progress the transfer process, aiming to complete later in the year.

Julie McDowell added: “This is a major celebration for us with Abbeyfield residents in our 50th year. We’re incredibly excited for the opportunity to help even more people live life to the full as we celebrate our legacy and look forward to the next 50 years.”