How the Christopher & Sarah Aldam Bowly’s Almshouse Charity transformed a Cirencester property

During 2025–2026, the Christopher & Sarah Aldam Bowly’s Almshouse Charity undertook a comprehensive refurbishment of one of its two-bedroom, semi-detached listed properties in Cirencester. The project was an opportunity to bring the home up to a new standard for future residents, addressing essential repairs and creating a comfortable, safe and welcoming place to live.

The results have been rewarding for the charity and, most importantly, for its new resident, who can now settle into a home where she feels secure.

A fresh start for a much-loved home

Following the sad passing of the property’s previous resident, the trustees took the opportunity to carry out extensive improvements. Having been occupied for many years, the property needed attention across several areas, from its electrical wiring and plasterwork to the kitchen and bathroom.

Working with a local surveyor, Terrace Surveyors of Cirencester, the charity appointed Kinsman Construction of Cheltenham to lead the refurbishment. As the property is listed, the project also required listed building consent from the local council, with careful consideration given to preserving its historic character while improving its condition and usability.

Modern comforts, thoughtful improvements

The refurbishment involved a range of trades and included:

• A complete electrical rewire, with USB charging points incorporated into selected sockets.
• Removal of old plaster and replastering throughout the property.
• Installation of a new kitchen and bathroom.
• Replacement of the rear windows.
• Bringing access to the downstairs toilet inside the property.
• Sandblasting the kitchen walls to prepare the surfaces for replastering and address previous damp issues.
• Redecoration throughout, including painting the external gutters to refresh the property’s appearance.

Together, these improvements have given the home a new lease of life, combining modern conveniences with the care needed to maintain a historic building.

The aim was to establish a new standard for the charity’s properties, helping to ensure future residents can enjoy a safe, comfortable and well-maintained home.

Working together to deliver the project

Close collaboration between the charity’s Clerk, Terrace Surveyors and Kinsman Construction helped the project run smoothly and to schedule. The Clerk maintained regular contact with both the surveyor and contractor throughout the works, ensuring that the different elements of the refurbishment were coordinated effectively.

The trustees and Clerk were delighted with the standard of work achieved. Their ambition is for this property to become the charity’s benchmark for future lettings, providing a clear standard to work towards as other homes require improvement.

One issue that remains under consideration is the staircase. Preliminary inspections identified that its steep, turning design could present difficulties for an older resident. The charity explored the possibility of replacing it with a straight flight of stairs, but this was not approved by the council’s conservation officer. The trustees intend to revisit the matter at a later date.

More than a refurbishment: a place to call home

The greatest measure of the project’s success is the difference it has made to the person now living there.

After years of moving between private rented homes that were sold while she was living in them, the new resident has found the stability and security she had been looking for.

“This is the first property in more than 20 years that feels like home and I cannot thank the Charity enough. I now feel safe and secure and have a place I can call Home.”

Her words capture what almshouse charities strive to provide: not simply accommodation, but a settled home where residents can feel secure and put down roots.

For the Christopher & Sarah Aldam Bowly’s Almshouse Charity, the refurbishment has delivered both an improved historic property and a meaningful outcome for its resident. The before-and-after photographs show the scale of the transformation, while the resident’s experience demonstrates the lasting value of investing in almshouse homes.

posted 13 October 2026

CASE STUDY: A £100,000 loan helps replace ageing windows to improve comfort, energy efficiency and quality of life for residents.

The Almshouse Association supports member charities to maintain, develop and improve their almshouses through grants and loans. A £100,000 loan to Maldon Housing Association Ltd enabled the replacement of ageing windows at Fairfield House, improving residents’ comfort, reducing draughts and helping protect their homes against rising energy costs.

The trustees have kindly prepared a comprehensive case study to share with our membership. We’ve summarised it below, but if you’d like to read the full account in their own words, please click here.

About Maldon Housing Association

Maldon Housing Association is a charity providing supported housing for older people in 57 flats across three properties in Maldon, Essex: Fairfield House, Berridge House and Deed House.

Its origins date back to 1966, when the Maldon Housing Society was established following an initiative by the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service to provide accommodation for older local people. The Association became a member of The Almshouse Association on 1 April 2008.

Governed by entirely voluntary trustees, Maldon Housing Association is committed to remaining an independent, community-based organisation, providing personal support and maintaining close relationships with residents.

Funding a major project

For several years, trustees had been concerned about how to finance major improvements beyond everyday maintenance and planned repairs. In earlier decades, donations from local businesses and organisations had helped fund improvements, including the gradual conversion of old-fashioned bathrooms into wet rooms.

However, changing economic circumstances made significant donations increasingly difficult to secure. More recently, priority had been given to replacing ageing boilers and undertaking essential fire-safety work to doors and roof spaces.

Fairfield House’s original Crittall windows had become a particular concern.

Many no longer fitted properly, making them difficult or impossible for residents to open and close. In summer, flats became excessively hot, while in winter, draughts made rooms cold and uncomfortable.

The problem was especially significant because many residents are aged 78 or over, with some experiencing frailty and restricted mobility. Ill-fitting windows also allowed heat to escape, undermining efforts to control energy costs.

Trustees therefore decided to apply for a £100,000 loan from The Almshouse Association to fund the replacement project.

Planning the work around residents

The project required careful planning to ensure residents’ safety and minimise disruption. Facilities Manager Tina Nash, project supervisor and chartered architect Clifford Patten, and contractor J and J Windows worked together to coordinate the programme.

Initial preparations included planning permission, an asbestos survey, a structural survey of the bay windows and a detailed site inspection. The team agreed that the work would begin in residents’ flats before moving on to communal areas.

A trial installation in flat FH2 was planned to check the suitability of the new windows and the installation process before the full order was placed. The flat was chosen partly because its windows faced a busy road, making it possible to assess the benefits of improved sound insulation.

A successful trial installation

The trial windows were installed on 30 March 2026. The work took three days and proceeded as planned, receiving approval from the Facilities Manager and project supervisor.

The resident was delighted with the result. Triple glazing significantly reduced traffic noise, which had previously been a major disturbance, particularly from delivery lorries at night.

The new window handles were also much easier to reach and operate, addressing a problem that had affected several residents. The installation caused minimal damage to the internal decoration, and the resident praised the contractors for their considerate and efficient approach.

Following the successful trial, the trustees authorised the order for the remaining windows.

Completing the project with residents at the heart

Work on the full replacement programme began on 6 July 2026, during an unusually long period of dry, sunny weather. The contractors worked through the summer, completing residents’ flats first and then moving on to the communal lounge and other areas.

A schedule allocated one or two days to each flat, depending on its size and layout. Residents were asked to clear the areas around their windows where possible, with support from family and friends.

Staff remained available to help residents feel comfortable and secure while work was taking place. The communal lounge was made available as a temporary space, providing refreshments, comfortable seating and somewhere to spend time away from the work.

The lounge was closed for just one week while its kitchen windows and large bay windows were replaced. Although this temporarily interrupted the regular coffee mornings and informal gatherings, residents understood the need for the closure.

The project also highlighted the strong community spirit at Fairfield House, with residents helping one another move belongings and keeping each other company while work was underway.

A brighter, more comfortable home

Residents have welcomed the improvements, praising the new windows for making their flats and communal rooms feel brighter and more spacious.

One resident commented: “The new windows have made the rooms in my flat and in this room feel bigger and lighter. I think they are fantastic!”

Another said: “I haven’t closed my new windows at all! I couldn’t open the old ones at all because the catch was stuck and it wasn’t easy to get to anyway. Thank you for getting this done for us!”

The replacement windows have made ventilation easier, removed the problem of draughty frames and are expected to improve energy efficiency. Triple glazing should also help reduce heat loss and allow radiators to be used at lower settings, potentially reducing energy bills.

The trustees, staff and residents of Fairfield House are grateful to The Almshouse Association for its £100,000 loan, which made this important improvement possible and has helped create a more comfortable home for the people who live there.

The Almshouse Association was delighted to support this project through its grants and loans programme, helping to ensure that another historic almshouse can continue its long tradition of providing homes and communities for those who need them most.

We would like to thank all the people and organisations who so kindly donate to The Almshouse Association and 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 2025, £1,198,500 was approved in new loans and grants totalled £50,000. 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.

posted 13 October 2026

CASE STUDY: How a £40,000 loan from The Almshouse Association helped tackle damp and improve residents’ homes.

The Almshouse Association supports member charities to develop, maintain and improve their almshouses through grants and loans, helping trustees provide safe, warm and comfortable homes for residents while preserving their historic buildings.

Lybbe’s Almshouses in Goring-on-Thames received a £40,000 loan from the Association to help fund essential refurbishment works, tackling longstanding damp problems and ensuring a healthier home for its residents.

They have kindly put together the below details to share with the membership.

A 300-year-old heritage and a longstanding damp problem

Lybbe’s Almshouses are located next to St Thomas of Canterbury Church in Goring-on-Thames.

The cottages were built in 1708 and bequeathed by Richard Lybbe in 1714 to the ancient parishes of Goring, Checkendon and Whitchurch. The properties are Grade II listed and consequently any refurbishment must be undertaken taking this into account.

The above photograph shows the cottages as they are today, two semi-detached houses; however, they were originally built as four separate dwellings for the benefit of the “poor men” of the parish.

In 1967 the cottages were modernised and reduced to the two we have today and during this process some attempt was made to cure damp issues by part rendering the outside walls, painting the internal brickwork with bituminous paint and plastering with cement-based plaster.

In 2018 the properties were further modernised to include an upstairs ensuite toilet, new gas-fired heating, new kitchen and utility room. Attempts were again made to address the damp issue, but within a year it reappeared in cottage one.

Finding a lasting solution to damp

In April 2025, our resident in cottage one sadly passed away. With the cottage now vacant the trustees decided that the property required refurbishment before a new resident moved in. This also pressurised the trustees to fund and undertake the work as soon as possible.

The trustees took advice from an architect, a structural engineer and a specialist builder dealing with old buildings. Of all the advice given we were most impressed by that of the builder from the Breathable House Company. They explained that old properties have a tendency to damp due to having no damp course, no cavity walls, shallow foundations and poor ventilation.

It was recommended that the internal cement-based plaster and outside render be removed and replaced with lime-based material. Also, the adjacent chimney should have the cement-based pointing replaced with lime-based pointing and a few damaged bricks replaced.

The trustees had read an Almshouse Association case study from The Francis Geering Almshouses that were of a similar age to Lybbe’s and suffered from similar problems and they had used the Breathable House Company to undertake the work. We spoke to the Francis Geering trustees and learnt that their project had been a great success and they were very satisfied with the work of the Breathable House Company. This input gave us the confidence to proceed with the Breathable House Company, who also undertook acquiring the listed building planning permission.

Raising funds

The Charity had accrued available funds of £60,000 against an estimate for the work of £100,000 and an approach was made to The Almshouse Association for a loan of £40,000 which was granted.

Without this loan we would have had to scale the proposed work back, which would have resulted in a patched up unsatisfactory conclusion.

Restoring the cottages and protecting their future

Work started in October 2025 with the removal of the plaster and render. The remaining resident temporarily moved out for two weeks whilst the noisy part of the work was undertaken. The render was also removed from the adjacent cottage two as an expediency. There were a few extra problems uncovered in the process but nothing too serious. The exposed brickwork was left uncovered for two months to assist drying out.

In the Spring of 2026, the lime-based plaster and render were applied, the chimney repointed, and the whole house redecorated with final completion in July 2026 and on budget!

The opportunity was also taken to relay the rear courtyard with a breathable base and natural stone to ensure good drainage away from the property.

The images below show the final result.

A warm welcome to a newly refurbished home

Our new resident Liz Giles moved into her new home on 27 July 2026, receiving her keys from one of the Lybbe’s trustees, Reverend Ben Phillips.

The Almshouse Association was delighted to support this project through its grants and loans programme, helping to ensure that another historic almshouse can continue its long tradition of providing homes and communities for those who need them most.

We would like to thank all the people and organisations who so kindly donate to The Almshouse Association and 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 2025, £1,198,500 was approved in new loans and grants totalled £50,000. 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.