Three Almshouse charities were selected by HRH The Prince of Wales to receive the Patron’s Awards for projects completed in 2018.
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Chandos and Dent’s Almshouse in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire
The Chandos Almshouses were founded in 1573 at a time when Winchcombe had great poverty. The almshouses were founded by Lady Dorothy Chandos whose family resided at Sudley Castle. The building is Grade II Listed and is located within Winchcombe Conservation Area.
In 1961 a substantial alteration was undertaken converting the almshouses to twelve bedsitting rooms with a separate bathroom and kitchen located in a new extension. A major upgrade was needed as it was becoming more difficult to find suitable residents for such small accommodation.
A new layout was created with the living area to the rear of the properties providing residents with a view south over the river Isbourne to Sudley Castle and the Cotswold hills A separate bedroom is provided to the front of the property at the quiet Mill Lane side.
There are now eleven flats, one of which has two bedrooms. The ten single person almshouses have a living room with kitchen area, a separate bedroom and an internal shower room with WC and wash basin.
There are laundry facilities on each floor as the kitchen layout does not have space for individual washing machines. Electrical power has been reconfigured and all lighting is provided with low energy LED lights. The building now provides low maintenance accommodation for local residents in need.
The Mills Charity, Framlingham, Suffolk
 Thomas Mills, a wealthy wheelwright and timber merchant lived and worked in Framlingham, Suffolk. Bequests from both Thomas Mills and his servant William Mayhew provided for the construction in 1704 of eight almshouses. These small almshouses are still in existence and have been refurbished by the charity.
In recent years it had become apparent that there was a great accommodation need in the area for young families as many were moving out of the village as they could not afford property there. Trustees had substantial funds available and it was decided to provide more almshouses for a mixed community of local people on a plot of land owned by the charity.
Trustees were keen to develop a new scheme which would have a social impact on the village and foster a sense of community. It was decided to provide ten family homes and four one bedroom flats.
Each of the houses has its own small, enclosed garden and there is a shared, well lit pathway for rear access. The interiors are extremely well designed with fully fitted kitchens including electric hob, oven, cooker hood, fridge/freezer, washing machine and dishwasher, all with clearly labelled switches. All the kitchen white goods provided and maintained by the charity and also included are carpets in all living areas, non-slip floor tiles in kitchens and bathrooms. Plenty of storage space has been included in all of the dwellings.
Trustees were determined to ensure that architecturally the buildings would have an affinity to the locality as well as be able to be identified as classic traditional almshouses. The design of a concave cul- de-sac terrace was thought to be an impressive addition to the village and encourage a sense of community and neighbourliness.
The Charity of James Goodman, Cranfield, Bedfordshire
 James Goodman was born in Cranfield and moved to London to become a builder. He established 3 almshouses in Cranfield in 1885 and a further 5 almshouses in 1892 and gave a 3 acre field to the charity. The 8 almshouses in the village have been modernised and are in constant demand. The 3 acre field was sold and gave funds to the trustees to develop a new site of almshouses.
There are 12 bungalows built around a very traditional almshouse quadrangle site on the edge of a new development of housing but very close to walk into the centre of the village.
All of the properties have disabled access. Large wet rooms have been provided and each bungalow has two bedrooms, kitchens are well designed and beautifully fitted out and all rooms have under floor heating with easy to manage controls.
Two of the properties are slightly larger and provide suitable accommodation for wheelchair users. The communal building has photo voltaic cells providing lighting for all outside areas.
All properties have a covered walkway allowing access to gardens and bin stores and store rooms are provided for bicycles and mobility scooters.
A communal building provides a large kitchen and meeting room for residents’ use together with a Boardroom and office for charity trustees.
Outside the property has secure fencing and access to the car park is by automatic gates. Within the central courtyard area there is a scented garden and water feature.
This charity has provided excellent, modern accommodation whilst using a traditional format for almshouses and was seen as a truly outstanding project.