75th Anniversary - Members stories | The Almshouse Association

Girton Town Charity welcomes HRH Duke of Gloucester

A glorious day for Girton Town Charity who welcomed HRH The Duke of Gloucester on Thursday 13 June 2024 for a special visit.

Girton Town Charity welcomed our Royal Vice Patron, His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester to their new award-winning “Passivhaus” almshouse development in the heart of Girton in Cambridge.

His Royal Highness was warmly received by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire Julie Spence, Nick Phillips, CEO of The Almshouse Association, Willie Hartley-Russell, Chairman of The Almshouse Association, and Ann Bonnett, Chair of Girton Town Charity.

The Duke was introduced to trustees and staff at Dovehouse Court, after which he embarked on a tour of the UK’s first fully accredited Passivhaus almshouse development.

During the tour, Ian Bramwell, Director of Mole Architects and the mind behind the development showcased the interior of one of the new almshouses. The Duke also had the pleasure of visiting resident Diana Henderson in her home and sharing some homemade pastries and cakes with residents.

The event was commemorated with the unveiling of a plaque and Ann Bonnett expressed the Charity’s gratitude to The Duke, saying

“it has been a great pleasure to show you around our new almshouses so you could see first-hand these homes for the future.”

Ann then presented His Royal Highness with a signed copy of local photographer Martin Bond’s new book, ‘Cambridge: Town & Gown.’

Before departing, The Duke remarked,

“I am delighted to have been able to come to Dovehouse Court today to see and hear about your ground-breaking development. It is very impressive that your charity, which has a 500-year history, is now looking to the future with these inspiring homes which have preserved the principles of traditional almshouse design with shared gardens and a community courtyard.”

Nick Phillips, CEO of The Almshouse Association, added,

“We are very honoured to receive HRH The Duke of Gloucester at one of our member charities, particularly to show off this fine example of a new Passivhaus-certified almshouse development. The Duke seemed very interested in how the charity blended historic design with cutting-edge environmental engineering around a welcoming community courtyard, synonymous with almshouse architectural design.”

Earlier this year, Dovehouse Court was highly commended in the Best New Building Over £2 Million category at the 2024 Greater Cambridge Design and Construction Awards, hosted by the Cambridge Forum for the Construction Industry (CFCI) at Pembroke College.

Passivhaus is a leading international low-energy design standard, offering a proven and cost-effective method to achieve carbon reduction targets. Its key features include high levels of insulation, energy-efficient windows and doors, strict airtightness, and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, resulting in low energy costs and improved indoor air quality.

posted 21 June 2024

Almshouse resident and D Day veteran attends RBL Service of Remembrance

D Day Veteran Phil Sweet is attending the Royal British Legion Service of Remembrance to mark D-Day 80, at the National Memorial Arboretum today, Thursday 6 June 2024

We are proud to announce that Phil Sweet who is a resident of an almshouses in Stratford-upon-Avon is attending the Royal British Legion Service of Remembrance to mark D-Day 80, at the National Memorial Arboretum on Thursday 6 June 2024 .

Phil who is now 99 recalls the following about his war time experience:

“I was sent to a place called Lochailort in the Highlands where I did six weeks of hefty nautical and ability training. Those six weeks were the toughest I have experienced in my life both physically and mentally. At the end of each week you had exams and if you were not good enough you would be dropped. But I lasted and was appointed an officer then sent to Troon for officer training for another six weeks and then appointed to a tank landing craft ready for the D-Day landings.

The war had been going for quite a considerable period of time for my training was in readiness for the D-Day landings the time of which we did not know then.

I was part of the initial wave that landed at the village of La Rivière as part of the Gold Beach landings. I was in a flotilla which were the first to go into the beach with two tanks on top of each other on the landing craft so that they could bombard the beach with shells as they were coming in to land. We didn’t lose anybody that day although the landing craft was damaged by the underwater objects as we were going in.

Then following the landing we were offloading equipment to the beaches and whilst doing so I had to go to the tented hospital at Bayeux with suspected peritonitis which turned out to be appendicitis.

I was sent to Plymouth to HMS Foliot, running all the movement of landing craft. We were tropicalizing (adding refrigeration and air conditioning) landing craft ready for the Far East but of course that collapsed because they dropped the atomic bomb.”

To all the men and women who served in the war and those who sacrificed their own lives for our freedom – we are forever grateful.

posted 6 June 2024

Richmond Charity helps raise the profile of almshouses

Promoting the almshouse brand is so important for the future success and stability of the almshouse movement.

Here at The Almshouse Association, we are working hard to make sure we get the message out about just how good almshouses are and what we need from the Government to make sure our members can continue to provide safe and warm community homes for people in need, but we are one voice. With almost 1600 members, just imagine how load our messages could be!

The Association is always very proud when we see positive media activity from our members – United St Saviours Appleby Blue and the Trinity Homes Almshouse exhibition in Brixton have both been making headline recently – and we were really pleased to receive a copy of an article Samantha Maskell of The Richmond Charities helped put together for publication in Venture, Atkins Ferrie‘s June 24 newsletter.

It begins…

“If you walk down Sheen Road in Richmond upon Thames, you may stop to admire a row of attractive Grade-II listed buildings. What you may not realise is that these buildings are almshouses – built in 1834 for ‘14 poor men and 14 poor women’. Over time, additional almshouses have been built on the site, and altogether they now provide a home for more than 50 people.

The estate is called Hickey’s Almshouses, after the man who bequeathed the estate back in 1728. It’s
owned and managed by The Richmond Charities. We caught up with Samantha Maskell (right), Head
of Finance, Policy and Governance at The Richmond Charities, to find out more… “

To read the article in full, please click here

Recently had something published on your own almshouse charity? Please do share it with us by emailing karenmorris@almshouses.org and we will be very happy to post on our website.

Or you may want to talk to us about your PR story. Please do contact us by emailing gerryharmon@almshouses.org

posted 3 June 2024

Grand Opening of Appleby Blue almshouses

Hugh Graham, Senior Property Writer for The Times attends the opening of the Appleby Blue almshouses.

“Not only am I hoping it signals an almshouse revival, I found myself hoping that I end up living in one in my sunset years.“

Read his article below

The affordable housing for over-65s that could lengthen your life

Almshouses in Britain are over a thousand years old — and new ones are still being built. We visit the latest example, designed to provide community and security

When most people hear the word almshouse, they think back to Victorian or medieval times — rows of pretty cottages around courtyards or greens, built by the church or charities to house the elderly poor. But I attended the opening of a brand new almshouse last week in Bermondsey, southeast London. Not only am I hoping it signals an almshouse revival, I found myself hoping that I end up living in one in my sunset years.

Appleby Blue, the new almshouse, has 57 flats and 65 residents, and is a welcome addition to an ancient British tradition of low-cost housing for the elderly. The oldest almshouse still in existence is thought to be the Hospital of St Oswald in Worcester, founded circa 990 by the Bishop of Worcester to create 21 homes for the sick and the poor. Almshouses flourished in Victorian England, as philanthropists felt it their duty to house retired workers or the elderly destitute. But in the 1950s, with the rise of council houses and the welfare state, new supply dried up; philanthropists assumed the state would take over. The ancient ones endure, however: there are currently (1,600 almshouse charities,) 30,000 almshouses in England and 36,000 people living in them, says Nick Phillips, the CEO of The Almshouse Association.

Designed in weathered brick by Stirling prize-winning architects Witherford Watson Mann, Appleby Blue carries on with the courtyard tradition — the 57 flats look down onto an enclosed communal garden filled with foxgloves and a babbling water feature; elderly residents tend to their rhubarbs and strawberries in another rooftop garden. But Appleby Blue is not a cloistered world: the glass-fronted garden room opens directly onto the high street, so elderly residents can sit and watch the world go by. This is a far cry from many retirement homes, which are hidden in dull suburbs, rather than in the heart of a bustling city.

To prevent loneliness, residents’ kitchen windows look onto internal glazed walkways — no institutional corridors here — so they can wave at neighbours as they pass; benches outside their doors encourage chatting. Appleby Blue also has a cooking school that is open to the public and residents alike, so the oldies still mix with the outside world.

Appleby Blue is managed by United St Saviour’s Charity which was founded in 1541 and has two other almshouses in London. Residents must be over 65, in financial need and live locally. They pay about £850 a month: most residents’ costs are covered by housing benefit. Many residents were empty-nesters living alone in three or four-bedroom council houses, simply because they couldn’t find anywhere to downsize. So almshouses are a useful valve to relieve housing pressure: five times as many people are housed if you build homes for elderly people, because it frees up family houses down the chain, said Lord Best, who declared Appleby Blue open at the ceremony last week.

They’re also better for the wellbeing of the elderly than social housing, says Phillips. He cites a 2023 study by Bayes Business School that concluded that a 73-year-old male entering the Charterhouse almshouse in London would live 2.5 years longer compared with his peers from the same socio-economic group.
“They encourage the model of the good neighbour, which you sign up to when you come in,” Phillips says. “It creates an environment of companionship to eradicate isolation. And they are led by volunteer trustees who take an interest in the welfare of the residents.”

He cites one example of a resident who stopped coming to social events. When the warden checked up on him and inquired why, the man said he was embarrassed by his dirty clothes — his washing machine had broken, so the charity paid to have it fixed.

With the current dearth of council houses, and the government’s depleted coffers, we clearly need more almshouses to help pick up the slack. “There’s a time bomb of older people living in market-rented property — what will happen when they hit retirement?” said Stephen Burns, the chair of trustees at the charity. “They won’t be able to pay.”

But how do you fund new almshouses? This one was developed by United St Saviour’s Charity in collaboration with the developer JTRE, which recently completed Triptych Bankside, a development of luxury flats in the borough. Instead of building the required quota of affordable housing in its luxury scheme, JTRE came to an agreement with Southwark council to develop this almshouse on the site of a derelict care home, on land owned by the local authority. It’s a model that should be replicated, says Phillips, who says there is a revival of interest in almshouses in recent years, as housing pressures increase — he estimates 400 were built last year.

Now we just need a new generation of philanthropists to step up and fund more of them — where are all the future Peabodys and Guinnesses? “I read an article about Jeff Bezos going to the moon and billionaires wanting immortality,” says Chris Wilson, the CEO of Southwark Charities. “If they want immortality, fund an almshouse. Your name will live forever.”

Indeed, this new almshouse is named after Dorothy Appleby, a pub landlady who died in 1682, and left her money to the poor through United St Saviour’s, all those centuries ago. Cheers to Dorothy.

For older readers who are homeowners, this week’s reader question is: if the government cut stamp duty for downsizers, would you consider moving to a smaller home? Why or why not? I’d love to know why you’d be happier remaining in the family home or making a fresh start in a retirement home or bungalow. Send your answers to property@thetimes.co.uk, and we’ll feature the best replies next week.

Until next week,

Hugh

posted 29 May 2024

Case Study: The Frances Geering Almshouses

Case Study Phase 1, part 1: Drainage works, replacement windows and replastering,

In the early part of 2024, The Frances Geering Almshouses Charity was awarded a £50,000 loan from The Almshouse Association to support various planned works to resolve damp problems in the charity’s two almshouses, covering drainage works, replacement front windows and replastering and painting with lime based materials.

The Building

The Frances Geering Almshouses in Harwell, Oxfordshire are a Grade II* listed building, built in the 1740s. The building is U-shaped and single storey, with a fine example of brickwork on its front façade.

It originally housed ‘6 poor widows’ who each had one room with a well and brick privy (now a shed) in the garden.

In the 1960s and the 1990s alterations were carried out, reducing the number of residents to two, so that each had a living room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom.

Damp Problems

With no damp proof course, and restrictions on what the Historic Building Officers would allow in a listed building, perennial damp problems were becoming unacceptable for residents in the 21^st century.

The trustees advised that if they cannot find residents, the charity will have no income and the building will deteriorate.

The Quinquennial Review in 2022 showed that some of the remedial work carried out over the years had been undertaken using inappropriate materials which were exacerbating the major problem of dampness in the almshouses. The residents have to keep their clothes in plastic bags; the walls and curtain linings develop damp patches, which become black and mouldy, which cannot be good for their health.

Finance

The original endowments of the Charity have been gradually sold off over the 300 years to maintain the upkeep of the building, and no endowments remain. Their annual income is about £20,000 with just two residents. In recent years they have had a surplus of about £5,000 per annum, which has been invested.

With a healthy financial balance, the trustees decided it was time to carry out a major renovation to reduce the damp problems.

The plan included:

the removal of the external cement rendering to the whole of the south wall and low level cement rendering to the east wall of the almshouse
stripping out the gypsum plaster on the internal walls in the bedroom, sitting room, kitchen and hallway
insulating the walls and replastering all with lime plaster. This work will allow the building to breathe.

The Quinquennial Review also recommended that a CCTV survey of the drains should be carried out and this revealed that the foul drains that were constructed in pitch fibre were showing signs of collapse and fluid retention. New pipework for the foul drains and the storm drains needed to be installed and a new soakaway dug, both of which will ensure that water is correctly taken away from the building. New gutters and drainpipes were also needed.

In March 2024 the new drainage system was successfully installed within a month.

Reinstatement of the disturbed pathways, patios and shingled areas has commenced.

The trustees have now also had agreement to remove the rotting wooden frames of the sash windows and replace them with double glazed units. The new plastering will be done during the summer months, to help the building to dry out, and the new windows will be fitted at the same time.

The trustees are using local building companies with a good reputation who are known to them.

Care of Residents

Whilst the drainage work was being carried out the contractors liaised closely with both residents to ensure that they were aware of when the changeover from the old to the new system would take place.

When the internal works commence it will be necessary to provide alternative accommodation elsewhere in the village for approximately two months.

Building Works and Progress

Having obtained Listed Building Consent, the trustees set up a small sub-committee to supervise the work, reporting at regular intervals back to the trustees.

They obtained quotes for the 3 areas of work, totalling approx. £120,000. With savings to cover half of this amount, they have been applying for grants. The Almshouse Association granted the Charity a loan of £50,000 to be repaid over 10 years to support the works.

posted 16 May 2024

We would like to thanks all the trustees and contractors for their hard work and determination to ensure these beautiful almshouses have been preserved and can continue to provide safe and warm homes to people in need for many more generations to come.

We would also like to thank the people who so kindly donate to The Almshouse Association or leave gifts in their Wills. Without their generosity, we would not be in a position to help support almshouse charities with their renovations and new builds.

The Almshouse Association awards loans and grants to our member charities every year. In 2023, £804,624 was approved in new loans and grants approved totalled £78,590. Charities pay no interest on the loans, just a small administration fee. As they make repayments on the loans over a ten year period, the Association can continue to offer loans to charities year after year, meaning that your donations continue to support almshouses and their residents in perpetuity.

If you are interested in making a donation to The Almshouse Association or leaving a gift in your Will, please do visit our Support Us pages here.

Construction work begins on new almshouses in Gosport

A groundbreaking ceremony in Gosport has marked the start of construction on a new Thorngate Churcher Trust development of homes in the town.

Representatives from Thorngate were joined by local councillors, construction staff, funders and professional advisors involved in the project to mark the start of construction of 30 warden-assisted flats for the over 50s. As an almshouse charity, Thorngate Churcher Trust has been offering low-cost community housing for local people in housing need since 1868.

Speaking at the event Mark Hook, chair of the board of trustees for Thorngate Churcher Trust, paid tribute to everyone who had worked so hard to reach this point.

_{L-R Oliver West from Vale Southern, Thorngate trustee chairman Mark Hook and chief executive Anne Taylor; photo credit: Thorngate Churcher Trust}

“Our responsibility as a social housing provider is to respond to the needs of our residents and that is a passion that drives not only the board but the whole team at Thorngate,” he said.

Thorngate currently has 124 sheltered flats for assisted living and Mark said the current waiting list is almost long enough to refill each of these homes.

“We are conscious that we can’t satisfy all the demand for specialist housing for older people looking for independent living with people-based support but what we are doing here is maximising the potential of this site,” he said.

“It has all the key features we know are most popular for our residents such as a multi-use space in the resident lounge, easily access for buggies and parking, and great transport connections. It is also a very green building with renewable energy.”

Funding for the new project has been made possible thanks to a grant from Homes England and support from Charity Bank. Carolyn Sims, director of lending from Charity Bank said she was pleased that the bank has been able to help Thorngate with this project.

“Older people should have somewhere decent to live and almshouses like Thorngate play a great role in this,” she said. “I’m personally thrilled we can support this project and look forward to the homes taking shape.”

Vale Southern, based in Portsmouth, has been awarded the contract to build the new homes and its managing director Oliver West said,

“This groundbreaking marks the start of a much-needed development, which we’re very proud to be delivering on behalf of Thorngate Churcher Trust. With spades now in the ground, we’re looking forward to getting the project underway and collaborating with Thorngate to create a high-quality development of sheltered flats for assisted living.”

Thorngate’s chief executive Anne Taylor said with work now underway the homes will be ready for occupation in 2025.

“Our new development on the corner of Grove Road and Sealark Road in Gosport will provide safe, comfortable, and modern homes with communal facilities and warden support,” said Anne.

posted 29 April 2024

Behind the blue doors..

To mark the 200th anniversary of Trinity Homes Almshouse in Brixton, photographer Jim Grover stepped inside to meet some of the current residents and delve into its history.

Read BBC News article here and below:

_{Image source: Jim Grover: Resident, Guy Hunting}

“I’ve often wondered what lay behind the blue front doors of this distinctive Georgian building on Brixton’s busy Acre Lane,” says Grover.

“Who lives there and what are their stories?

“How did it come to be here and who was the man whose name is prominently displayed above its doors? It’s been a wonderful voyage of discovery for me, full of extraordinary revelations that span 200 years.

“I am so pleased to be able to throw open the doors and share the remarkable and inspiring stories that lie behind them.”

The almshouse was built in 1822 and endowed in 1824 with £2,000 (equivalent to about £275,000 in today’s money) by Thomas Bailey, a Brixton resident. Originally from Staffordshire, Bailey made his money as a partner in Neale & Bailey, a very successful retailer of china and cut glass in the late 18th and early 19th Century.

_{Image Source Jim Glover: Trinity Homes wall tablet}

Trinity Asylum (as it was originally named) was for “pious aged women”, it was not a mental asylum. Successful applicants for one of the original 12 apartments had to be aged between 57 and 67, single, have a small income, and have references that included confirmation of their religious faith.

Today Trinity Homes is a registered charity administered by a group of voluntary trustees. Residents can furnish their rooms however they wish.

Guy Hunting, a published author and previously a footman at Buckingham Palace, has been a resident for 14 years. He scours local charity shops for artworks to add to his enormous collection.

“People aren’t here by choice, some are here for unfortunate reason, by ‘force majeure’, but some are great fun.”

_{Image source Jim Grover: Resident Christine Holding}

Christine Holding became a resident in 2004. Her mother was previously a resident for more than 20 years.

Holding retired in 2020, at the age of 72, having previously spent 20 years as a dinner lady and housekeeper in a local school. Now 76, she has signed up to be a volunteer for The Patients Association in her local GP surgery.

“I’ve worked all my life, I’ve got to be doing something as I love meeting people,” she says.

In 1996, Peter Avery became the first male resident of Trinity Homes, and men now comprise seven of the 17 residents.

Avery, now 84, a former senior lecturer at Central School of Art and Design, continues to be a very active artist and is currently designing a stage set for a south London theatre.

“I don’t have a bedroom, it’s my studio instead. I have a fold-up bed which I wheel out each night,” says Avery.

_{Image source Jim Grover: art materials in Peter’s room}

Traces of former artist residents can be found in the communal gardens.

_{Image source Jim Grover: a wooden sculpture of a chair}

_{Image source Jim Grover: an apple tree}

Like many almshouses, the layout includes a central communal area, in this case a garden. In the summer, some of the residents gather under the apple tree for a glass of wine together.

_{Image source Jim Grover: Andrew Taylor, Trinity Homes Warden}

Andrew Taylor is the live-in warden, a role he has held since 2013.

“I’ve decided that now we have a newly decorated meeting room I’m going to see if we can get together a bit more. Start with a coffee morning and some homemade scones. We’ll take it from there.”

_{Image source Jim Grover: Wallee McDonnell}

Wallee McDonnell is 72, and a resident since 2018. He volunteers for Celebrate Life, a Community Interest Company, for which he was a finalist in the 2024 Lambeth Civic Awards. He also facilitates peace education workshops in prisons.

“I was homeless” says McDonnell, “I’d never had my own place, my own front door with a key.“

Behind the Blue Doors can be seen in the exhibition gallery of the newly opened Lambeth Archives in Brixton until Saturday June 22nd June.

To view online, please click here.

posted 29 April 2024

Pickering and Ferens Homes share preview of new development

The Almshouse Association was delighted when Pickering and Ferens Homes (PFH) shared a preview of their latest development of almshouses at Padstow Close Hull with partners on 13 March 2024.

This £3.96 million development delivered by Unity Homes and supported by Homes England Funding of £1.32 million, comprises of 24 bungalows specifically designed for living in later life which are a welcome addition to the area. Incorporating innovative designs inspired by resident feedback, the development will be completed by late Summer this year.

“We are committed to building as many new, high-quality homes as possible, and to be an organisation that people look on with local pride. We are delighted to be in the final stages at Padstow and know these properties will become much loved homes for our residents to enjoy.”
Claire Warren, Chief Executive of Pickering and Ferens Homes

“Good quality housing is in huge demand, and these will provide much needed, homes for people to live independently that have been sensitively designed to complement the character of the area, as well as utilising technology that ensures they are energy efficient.”

Cllr Paul Drake Davis, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Housing at Hull City Counci

(Pictured L-R) Nagra Azza Construction, Richard Walker, Homes Services Director Pickering and Ferens Homes, Ben Hanson, Head of Strategy, Market Intervention and Growth Hull City Council, Karen York, Community Engagement Lead Hull City Council, Bal Singh, Site Manager Azza Construction, Joe Bvumburai, Architect Eznat, Cllr Paul Drake Davis, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Housing at Hull City Council, Simon Redfern, Senior Housing Strategy Officer East Riding Council, Kate Calvert, Chair of the Board Pickering and Ferens Homes

“These wonderful new bungalows are the first to be built in Bransholme for many years and Unity Homes & Enterprise are proud to support Pickering & Ferens to deliver these well-designed energy efficient homes for the local community. This development demonstrates Pickering & Ferens commitment to the city of Hull and its communities.”

Wayne Noteman, Development Director at Unity Housing and Enterprise

posted 2 April 2024

St John’s open 15 new almshouses

21st March 2024 | Hampshire Chronicle

YEARS of planning and months of hard work finally paid off as 15 new almshouses were officially opened in Winchester.

The apartments, in Colebrook Street, are owned and run by charity St John’s Winchester. Located across five sites in the city, St John’s Winchester almshouses provide an affordable, supportive, and safe living environment for people over 60.

Work begun to convert the site, which used to be staff accommodation for the Wessex Hotel, in March 2021. 108 Colebrook Street was also renovated as part of the project and turned into two one-bedroom flats, a one-bedroom maisonette, communal area, and assisted bathroom.

Dignitaries and representatives from the charity, including Chairman of The Almshouse Association, Willie Hartley Russell were invited to a special event on Wednesday, March 20 to mark the completion.

Nigel Atkinson, Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire, unveiled a plaque after speeches by St John’s CEO Clive Cook and chair of trustees Roger Bright.

“I want to acknowledge the brilliant work St John’s does both here in their almshouses and also through their community-facing services.”
Nigel Atkinson, Lord-Lieutenant

The Charity is currently looking for residents for the remaining vacancies of the almshouses, and a recent application process has drawn scores of applicants.

“These new almshouses represent a major step in securing the St John’s community in central Winchester for generations to come. They are state of the art, energy efficient and designed to facilitate mixing amongst community members and good neighbour relations. Every type of care can be delivered in them by our wonderful care team. The vast majority who move in will find a home for life.”

Clive Cook, CEO St John’s Winchester

For more photos of the event, please visit the St John’s Winchester website here.

Supported by welfare staff, St John’s residents will be part of a community of neighbours, friends, and staff. The almshouses are a registered provider of care with the Care Quality Commission, and although residents are encouraged to lead independent lives, they can also make use of the 24/7 assistance and support provided.

photo credits: Hampshire Chronicle, St Johns Winchester Charity

posted 2 April 2024

Association loan case study: St Mary’s House almshouses

St Mary’s Church Homes – replacement of front windows

Part of the service The Almshouse Association offers it’s member charities is to help support them with grants or loans if they do not have sufficient funds to carry out necessary works to their almshouses.

St Mary’s Church Homes needed to replace the windows in their almshouses and were given an Almshouse Association loan of £55,000. Now that the work is complete, the trustees have kindly put together a case study to demonstrate how the funds have been spent and the difference it’s made to their residents’ lives.

BACKGROUND

St Mary’s House in Ealing, London W5 was built in 1900 with 12 one bedroom flats (ground floor and first floor). Major work was carried out in the 1950s and 1990s to improve these dwellings. In 2016 two additional dwellings were built, one at either end of the block. Both were designed to be accessible for persons of limited mobility; one of these dwellings has one bedroom, the other has two bedrooms. All the flats are currently occupied and in recent years vacancies have been filled quickly by persons satisfying the criteria of their trust deed.

_{May 2023 – St Mary’s House before replacement of windows}

PLANNING

A report on the condition of the flats in 2019 indicated that substantial work would be needed in the medium term on the front windows of the original flats. Since the flats were built secondary double glazing had been added, but the original wooden frames dating from 1900 had not been replaced. Although there had been regular maintenance, significant defects had developed in these windows. Some windows did not open and close easily and some suffered with condensation. Because of the age of the windows, there was substantial heat loss.
In 2021 the trustees commissioned a more detailed survey, from architects they had used on previous projects, for their options on repair or replacement of the windows. This report compared having an ongoing programme of repairs, replacement with PVC windows or replacement with wooden frame windows. Following receipt of this survey they requested and received three quotes; two for wooden frames and one for PVC frames.
During 2022 the trustees carried out investigations on the potential suppliers of the windows and the details of the specifications, including one factory visit. By October, they were ready to make a decision to proceed. They selected a specialist window manufacturer to make and fit modern glass with wooden frames and appointed their previous architects as architect and quantity surveyor for this project.
In January 2023, the trustees confirmed the contract with the window manufacturer to start work on making the windows. By paying the deposit they were then effectively fully committed to the project proceeding in 2023. They appointed a local building firm to carry out the associated building work; erecting scaffolding, making good the plaster and decoration around the fitted windows and repainting the outside to take advantage of scaffolding being in place. Some employees of the building firm were already familiar with the building having been involved in the 2016 extension.

PREPARATION FOR INSTALLATION

The residents were first told about the plan to replace the front windows by letter in January 2022 and were given the opportunity to ask questions at the annual meeting in May 2022. When the timing of the work (May – June 2023) was known, the trustees arranged a meeting with residents to discuss the practical arrangements.
Within all 12 flats the area next to the front window had to be cleared to avoid damage to the residents’ possessions when the new windows were fitted. Storage boxes were hired to enable residents to store items off-site and residents were offered help from the trustees to pack items or move items to another part of their flat.
The Charity then announced the detailed timetable so that a resident could arrange to be out on the day that their old window would be removed and new window fitted. The trustees explained to residents that making good of plaster and repainting would be a gradual process during the month following the installation. Part of the lawn to the side of the building was used to create a secure storage area between delivery from the factory and installation.

_{May 2023 – scaffolding erected for full length of building}

INSTALLATION

When fitting of the windows commenced in mid-May, the fitters immediately encountered a problem with one batch of windows. Measurements had been taken before manufacture commenced, but it was discovered that there had been errors at design stage in applying those measurements (the end flats have a slightly different design to the central flats).

Fortunately, the builders discovered that there was a void space just above the existing windows and this space could be used to enable most of the manufactured windows to be fitted. Completely fresh windows had to be manufactured for only two of the flats. Through the diligence and cooperation of all involved, these problems were quickly overcome and the project was able to be completed within the agreed time scale.

Once the majority of the new windows had been fitted the builders started work on making good the plaster around the windows and repainting the walls and ceilings of the front room of each flat. While the scaffolding was in place they also repainted the outside of the front of the flats.

_{New window frame going into ground floor flat}

_{New window frame fitted to ground floor flat}

_{Preparing to install window in upstairs flat}

_{Installing new window in upstairs flat}

HAPPY RESIDENTS

The residents gave feedback that both the fitters and the builders were always courteous and considerate. Access was needed to the individual flats to carry out the work and the residents are delighted with the quality of work. They are all proud of their new windows and the neat finish to the decoration in that area. They benefit both in personal comfort and financially from now having double-glazed windows providing a high degree of thermal efficiency.

FINANCE

As at December 2022, the Charity’s net realisable assets were £105,000. In addition, they secured a loan from The Almshouse Association for £55,000. The amount of this loan was set taking into account their existing loan for the 2016 extension, for which £40,000 was still outstanding at the end of 2022. Excluding the windows project, the Charity estimated that income would exceed expenditure during 2023 by at least £20,000, which gave them a margin for contingencies.

When the trustees placed the order with the window manufacturer in January 2023, the estimated project cost was £160,000. At this stage, they had not received a quote from the builders and used estimated figures from the architects. They recognised that the payment to the builders would depend on the extent of making good and work on the outside to take advantage of the scaffolding. The actual cost of the work was £180,000 (windows £76,000, builders £89,000, architects £14,000, sundry £1,000). Phasing of payments enabled the Charity to meet all payments as they became due.

OUTCOME

The quality of the window frames and the windows is very high. The design matches the previous windows and hence preserves the look of the building.

By replacing all the front windows at the same time, they benefited from economies of scale.
The Charity will avoid substantial maintenance costs from deterioration had the existing windows remained in place.
The new windows are expected to last for at least 60 years and maintenance costs should be low.
The residents are pleased with the ease of opening and closing the new windows. In the summer this makes it easier for them to ventilate their front room. In winter, the improved insulation will help to contain energy bills.

_{Repainting outside while scaffolding in place}

_{All windows fitted and repainting complete}

LESSONS LEARNED

“Measure twice, cut once”

Every dwelling must be measured separately before starting construction. Dwellings may look similar, but particularly if they were originally built many years ago there may be small variations in dimensions. A small amount of time checking measurements can avoid costly errors in manufacture.
This project required much involvement throughout from the trustees in liaising with architects, two firms of contractors and residents, as well as attention to detail over a considerable number of issues.
A project of this nature, involving replacement of key parts of an existing and inhabited building, can require much more thought, attention and effort than new construction or work on an empty building.

We would like to congratulate all the trustees and contractors for their hard work and determination to ensure these beautiful almshouses have been preserved and can continue to provide safe and warm homes to people in need for many more generations to come.

If you are interested in making a donation to The Almshouse Association or leaving a gift in your Will, please do visit our Support Us pages here.