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Hard hats replaced the traditional black tricornes of the Chelsea Pensioners today (24 October 2005) when a number of the residents of the Royal Hospital Chelsea joined up with Matron to start the demolition of their old infirmary.
A selection of Pensioners joined Matron, Karen Smith, to wield the hammer at the old 1960s building, which is being demolished as part of a planned programme to build a new Infirmary (care home) and modernise the Pensioners? living quarters in the famous Sir Christopher Wren designed long wards.
The whole project is being paid for entirely through a fundraising campaign which is to be publicly launched on 10 November at a special evening event in the Hospital grounds. In the interim period, the Pensioners are being treated in a temporary infirmary which has been created on the Royal Hospital site near the Thames in Chelsea. The Appeal is tasked with raising ?35 million by the end of March 2008 to fund all the necessary work - the new Infirmary will cost an estimated ?20 million and the Long Wards an estimated ?15 million
 The Marquess of Salisbury, Chairman of the Pensioners? Appeal Committee, comments, ?A new infirmary is badly needed to ensure we continue to offer an excellent standard of care to all residents of the Royal Hospital. With around 300 pensioners aged between 65 and 100 (if not older!) there is an absolute requirement for excellent medical facilities to treat both minor ailments and provide longer term care.?
The Governor of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, General Sir Jeremy Mackenzie GCB OBE, adds: ? Once the new Infirmary is built, we will be turning our attention to upgrading the Pensioners? residential living quarters to meet the needs of the 21 st century with en - suite facilities designed to give our gentlemen a little more privacy. It is only right that old soldiers, who have given so much to our country, receive the highest possible standard of care in their retirement.?
 The Royal Hospital Chelsea was built in 1692 to provide for old and injured soldiers and today looks after around 300 men. The Chelsea Pensioners? Appeal is the first major fundraising campaign undertaken by the Royal Hospital in its long history. Work on the new Infirmary building is scheduled to commence in the Spring of next year. The architectural design for the interior and overall construction have been carried out by Steffian Bradley Architects, while Quinlan Terry has designed the exterior of the new building.
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