Weymouth · Dorset · Since 1961
A home, not just housing, for older people in Weymouth
The Abbeyfield (Weymouth) Society Limited's registered work was the provision of accommodation for elderly persons at MacPherson House in Preston, Weymouth — a small, friendly sheltered house where older people who would otherwise be on their own could live independently, with company and support close at hand. Please read the status notice above: the company was dissolved in July 2026 and the house is now managed within the wider Abbeyfield family.
Explore our homes Contact detailsWhat the society does
The society's registered activity is simple and long-standing: the provision of accommodation to elderly persons. Its charitable objects are to house older people who would otherwise be on their own, and in doing so to provide a focal point for the goodwill and kindness of neighbours.
MacPherson House
MacPherson House, 8 Wyke Oliver Road, Preston, Weymouth DT3 6BW, is the society's sheltered house: 10 rooms with en-suite facilities, a communal sitting room and a garden, with emergency call bells and a night staff member.
Public listings note that the house is now managed day-to-day within the wider Abbeyfield family (Abbeyfield Wessex Society).
About MacPherson HouseQuick facts from the public register
Registration
- Legal name: THE ABBEYFIELD (WEYMOUTH) SOCIETY LIMITED
- Registered Charity No. 246972 (England & Wales)
- Company No. 00685160 — charitable company, limited by guarantee
- Area of benefit: Weymouth and elsewhere · Operates in Dorset
Regulators & status
- Also regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Homes England
- The charity owns and/or leases land or property
- Not recognised by HMRC for Gift Aid
- Latest filed accounts: year ending 30 September 2023
See Finances & Transparency, including an important status note →
About us
About Abbeyfield Weymouth Society
A Weymouth charitable company providing accommodation for elderly persons since the 1960s.
Our purpose
The Abbeyfield (Weymouth) Society Limited exists to house older people who would otherwise be on their own, and in doing so to provide a focal point for the goodwill and kindness of neighbours. That wording comes from the society's charitable objects, and it still describes the work: small-scale, homely accommodation where residents keep their independence and gain the security of staff, neighbours and friends nearby.
How the register describes us
| What | Accommodation / housing |
|---|---|
| Who | Elderly / old people |
| How | Provides services |
| Where | Dorset — area of benefit: Weymouth and elsewhere |
| Activities | Provision of accommodation to elderly persons |
Legal structure
Charitable company
The society is a charitable company limited by guarantee, Company No. 00685160, incorporated on 2 March 1961. Its governing document is its Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 2 March 1961.
Registered charity
The society was registered with the Charity Commission on 11 March 1966 as Registered Charity No. 246972. It is also regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Homes England, and it owns and/or leases land or property.
View the official record: Charity Commission profile for charity 246972 ↗
Our history
More than sixty years in Weymouth
The company is incorporated as a charitable company limited by guarantee (Company No. 00685160), governed by a Memorandum and Articles of Association of the same date.
MacPherson House in Preston, Weymouth is built — the society's first purpose-built home, providing sheltered accommodation for older people.
The society is entered on the Register of Charities as Registered Charity No. 246972.
The society continues its single, focused activity — the provision of accommodation to elderly persons in Weymouth and Dorset — from MacPherson House, and is also publicly listed as the operator of Legh House, a residential care home in Wyke Regis.
The society's latest filed financial year ends, with total income of £1,007,085 and total expenditure of £946,321, all spent on charitable activities. The accounts and annual return were received by the Charity Commission on 13 June 2024, on time.
Charity Commission reporting for later years is overdue and Companies House records show the company was dissolved in July 2026. Please read the status note on our Finances & Transparency page before making enquiries about current services.
Our homes
Our homes in Weymouth
MacPherson House — sheltered housing
MacPherson House8 Wyke Oliver Road, Preston
Weymouth, Dorset DT3 6BW
- Built in 1961 as the society's first purpose-built home
- 10 rooms, each with en-suite facilities
- Communal sitting room and garden
- Emergency call bells and a night staff member
- Sheltered housing: your own room, with support and company nearby
Note: public listings state that MacPherson House is now managed day-to-day within the wider Abbeyfield family (Abbeyfield Wessex Society). For current availability and services, please enquire using the contact details on this site.
Enquire about MacPherson HouseLegh House — residential care
Legh House117 Rylands Lane, Wyke Regis
Weymouth, Dorset DT4 9QB
- Residential care home publicly listed as operated by the society
- Capacity: 19 residents (per public care listings)
- CQC rating: Good (per public care listings)
Care services are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Details above are as shown in public care listings; please contact the home directly to confirm current arrangements.
Contact us
Living with us
Independence, with support close by
Sheltered accommodation at MacPherson House is designed for older people who want their own front door and their own routine — without being on their own. Based on the society's registered model and the house's published features, life at the house includes:
Your own en-suite room
Each of the 10 rooms at MacPherson House has en-suite facilities, so residents have privacy and independence in their own space.
Communal life
A communal sitting room and garden give space to meet neighbours, welcome visitors and enjoy company — the "focal point for goodwill and kindness" described in the society's objects.
Safety day and night
Emergency call bells in rooms and a night staff member mean help is close at hand around the clock.
Staff and volunteers
The register records 38 employees across the society, supported by the volunteer tradition that has been part of Abbeyfield houses since the beginning. The society maintains a volunteer management policy (see Governance & Policies).
Thinking about sheltered living for yourself or a family member? Get in touch — enquiries are welcome by phone on 07733 881733 or by email.
Please note
Public listings state MacPherson House is now managed day-to-day within the wider Abbeyfield family (Abbeyfield Wessex Society), and the society's own reporting position has changed — see the status note on the Finances & Transparency page. Please confirm current services when you enquire.
Our people
Trustees and staff
Trustees
The Charity Commission register lists four trustees. No trustee receives any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity.
Malcolm John Thame
Chair of Trustees
David Geary
Trustee
Linda Frances Griffiths
Trustee
Brian Sadler
Trustee
Staff team
Staff are paid under the society's "paying staff" policy, and trustee expenses and conflicts of interest are covered by dedicated policies — see Governance & Policies.
Finances & transparency
Finances — year ending 30 September 2023
All figures on this page are from the society's latest filed accounts, for the financial year ending 30 September 2023, as published on the Charity Commission register.
Where the income came from — FY2023
Total income includes £9,216 from 1 government contract. Total expenditure of £946,321 was spent entirely on charitable activities.
Balance sheet — 30 September 2023
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Own use assets | £1.22m |
| Long-term investments | £10.64k |
| Other assets | £261.39k |
| Total liabilities | £101.21k |
Five-year history (as filed)
| Financial year ending 30 Sep | Income | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | £755.86k | £793.17k |
| 2020 | £847.02k | £863.80k |
| 2021 | £766.31k | £901.33k |
| 2022 | £843.11k | £931.37k |
| 2023 | £1.01m | £946.32k |
Accounts record: the FY2023 annual return and accounts were received by the Charity Commission on 13 June 2024, on time. Gift Aid: the register states the charity is not recognised by HMRC for Gift Aid.
Official record: Charity Commission profile — THE ABBEYFIELD (WEYMOUTH) SOCIETY LIMITED (246972) ↗
Status note (checked October 2026)
Charity Commission reporting for the financial years ending 30 September 2024 and 30 September 2025 is overdue; the latest filed accounts are for the year ending 30 September 2023. Companies House records show the company applied for voluntary strike-off in May 2026 and was dissolved on 28 July 2026. This website presents the society's public register record and history; enquiries about current services at MacPherson House should be made via the contact details shown.
Because of this position, this website has no donation facility and publishes no bank or payment details.
Governance & policies
How the society is governed
The society is governed by its trustees under its Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 2 March 1961. It is a charitable company (No. 00685160) and a registered charity (No. 246972), regulated by the Charity Commission, and also by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Homes England for its housing and care activities.
Trustees
4 trustees, led by Chair Malcolm John Thame. No trustee is paid. See Our People.
Staff
38 employees; no employee receives total benefits over £60,000.
Structure
No trading subsidiaries. The charity owns and/or leases land or property.
Policies recorded on the register
The Charity Commission register records that the charity has the following policies in place:
- Safeguarding
- Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
- Complaints handling & complaints policy
- Conflicts of interest / trustee conflicts of interest
- Financial reserves
- Internal financial controls
- Risk management & internal risk management
- Investing charity funds / investment
- Paying staff
- Bullying and harassment
- Serious incident reporting
- Social media
- Trustee expenses
- Volunteer management
To raise a concern or request a policy, please use the details on the Contact page. Safeguarding concerns can also be raised with the Care Quality Commission and Dorset Council adult safeguarding services.
Support & get involved
Support the society — enquiries only
Please read first
This website does not accept donations online, publishes no bank or payment details, and the charity is not recognised by HMRC for Gift Aid. Given the society's current register position (see the status note on Finances & Transparency), all support is by enquiry only, by phone or email.
Volunteering
Volunteers have always been part of Abbeyfield life — befriending residents, helping in the garden, and supporting communal activities. The society's register record includes a volunteer management policy. If you would like to ask about volunteering, please enquire by phone or email so your enquiry reaches the right team.
Email a volunteering enquiryCommunity support
The society's objects describe the house as a focal point for the goodwill and kindness of neighbours. Local groups, neighbours and friends who wish to offer time or practical help are welcome to make contact in the first instance.
Call 07733 881733For anything about supporting the society, please start with an enquiry via the Contact page.
Contact
Contact Abbeyfield Weymouth Society
Write, phone or email
THE ABBEYFIELD (WEYMOUTH) SOCIETY LIMITEDMacPherson House
8 Wyke Oliver Road, Preston
Weymouth, Dorset DT3 6BW
Phone: 07733 881733
Email: lesley.rose@abbeyfieldweymouth.co.uk
Official records
- Charity Commission — charity 246972 ↗
- Registered Charity No. 246972 · Company No. 00685160
- Domain: abbeyfieldweymouth.co.uk
Before you enquire
Please read the status note on the Finances & Transparency page: reporting for FY2024 and FY2025 is overdue and Companies House records show the company was dissolved on 28 July 2026. Public listings state MacPherson House is now managed day-to-day by Abbeyfield Wessex Society within the wider Abbeyfield family.