Shepparton Villages applied to the Jack Brockhoff Foundation for the money to start restoring 20 units at the Rodney Park and Tarcoola villages.

The money will help fix the first two units and the entire project is scheduled to be finished in 2016.

The restored units are expected to last 20 years.

Shepparton Villages chief executive Kevin Bertram said the aged-care provider needed to maintain modern design and residents' comfort and safety, and donations were needed to upgrade the units.

But marketing manager Vicki Glazner said donations were hard to source. "I know that when you have such a deserving project, organisations devoted to philanthropy ... immediately see the benefit for aged care," Ms Glazner said. Sir lack Brockhoff was chairman and managing director of Brockhoff Biscuits, the company his father started in 1880.

The company became part of Arnott-Brockhoff-Guest and then Arnott's Biscuits.

Sir Jack was the youngest of three sons and always wanted to support those in the community who were less fortunate. The businessman and philanthropist in 1979 provided $5 million to start the foundation named after him and he left a significant amount to the foundation when he died in 1984.

Shepparton Villages last month accepted a near-$4-million tender to start the $30-million Tarcoola redevelopment plan. The first stage of the four-stage project will build 15 new independent-living units, a synthetic bowling green and extend the activity centre. The finished redevelopment will have 60 new independent-living units and an sged-care facility for 90 people on Chas Johnson Reserve, replacing Hakea Lodge.

As printed in the Shepparton News, Friday August 5, 2011.