Nick Sanderson is Executive Chairman of both Audley Group and Elysian Residences. Together they represent the UK’s largest developer and operator of luxury retirement villages.

In the 1980’s with Dr Andrew MacDonald he founded, operated, and then sold Beaumont Healthcare, one of the first corporate providers of private pay nursing care homes which is now part of Barchester Healthcare. In 1986, that company created close care housing which offered independent living to older people in their own homes adjacent to a Beaumont care home.

After 5 years of public/private partnerships, in the early nineties he created Audley to develop a portfolio of private retirement villages. Retirement villages offer independent living to older people in purchased homes with flexible care and support to allow them to stay in place throughout their life.

The first two award winning schemes in Tunbridge Wells and Harrogate were completed by 2004. In 2008 he formed a partnership with Moorfield Group.

The combined Audley and Elysian group now has 30 schemes in its programme with nearly 3000 units with a GDV approaching £2.5bn. The group has around 4,500 customers and over 1000 staff.

Mayfield Villages was launched to provide the Audley offer at a more affordable price and the first village of 255 apartments was opened in Watford in December 2022.

The Group is multi award winning.

Nick is Chairman and a founding Board Member of the Associated Retirement Community Operators (ARCO). He is a regular speaker at national and international conferences and a contributor to several publications.

He has acted as an advisor to both the public and private sector and was also a member of the Government appointed Older Peoples Housing Task Force which reported in 2024.