Almshouse Stories | The Almshouse Association

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

NEWWAY Project explores setting up a new almshouse charity

A representative from the NEWWAY Project recently got in touch with Association CEO, Nick Phillips to talk about their project and their hopes to set up a new almshouse charity.

They are seeking land or property, ideally within the London Borough of Newham, to build a community of accommodation for 6-15 single adults who have a history of rough sleeping or in vulnerable housing situations. The offer will be around 12- 24 months, but dependant on levels of needs and move-on options. These beneficiaries will be supported by the community and team from NEWway. They will help them build on networks that include health services, training, employment and education, volunteer opportunities and household management/financial skills. These supports will allow for a move on from their services, that ensures their rough sleeping is non-recurrent.

Angie Allgood, Director at NEWWAY Project tells us her story

“Mine is an unusual story. I am the fourth of six generations to live, work and worship in a small corner of East Ham called Bonny Downs.

I live in the same street that my great-grandparents raised their thirteen children to adulthood. Their cottages were bulldozed as part of the post-war slum clearance.

My Nan and Grandad moved their family one road down, to council-owned flats, and lived out their days thankful to post-war welfare reforms.

My Nan knew poverty.

She shared stories of severe overcrowding, being ‘kicked out’, hiding from the ‘rent man’, fearing homelessness, insecure and irregular employment and the heartbreak of children going to bed hungry.

NEWWAY Vision

We want for everyone to receive a dignified, compassionate and supportive response which enables a successful and sustainable move away from rough sleeping in the London Borough of Newham.

“I had absorbed her stories and entwined them with my own. In 2013, I walked those same streets, haunted that the destitution of her past life which was quickly becoming our present reality. Rough Sleeping, homelessness, food poverty and insecurity was on the rise.

Myself, and other locals sought the support of Newham churches, and the expertise of Housing Justice to respond to an Isaiah vision to shelter the homeless and feed the hungry in our community.

“In 2013, we opened our first winter night-shelter and formed our charity NEWway Project (1165966).

Over the past 10 years, we have continued to respond to the needs of the homeless community around us. We have grown to provide a commissioned Day Centre- (NEWday) and Employment Social Enterprise- (NEWlife). https://newwayproject.org/

We see large numbers of single men, mostly under the age of 35. Many have been granted the sanctuary and refuge of status in the UK but are faced with no prospect of housing.

Homelessness prevention teams are overwhelmed, and our guests are found as non- priority. Social Housing is non-existent to this group. Private rents are high and unattainable.

Many have a desire to work but become trapped in exploited situations and find it hard to sustain work when they have no place to call home. We see people coming out of homelessness becoming institutionalised by the systems that are designed to support, but often trap people in expensive welfare benefit options.

NEWway have been seeking a model of housing that focuses on the strength of community in providing support, and empowers individuals to lead purposeful and fulfilled lives, which include gaining and sustaining employment.

“We believe that people coming through homelessness are resilient and courageous and have much to contribute to our community. We want to ensure that those who wish to remain in our borough, have better options to do so.

We are excited to be exploring almshouses as our answer.

We are forming a new charity, that aligns with the almshouse principles. This will allow us to provide genuinely affordable community-led housing. We want to provide a place of sanctuary and support, where our guests can recover from the traumas of homelessness and rebuild their lives by contributing within a safe and supportive community.

We are seeking land or property, ideally within the London Borough of Newham, to build a community of accommodation for 6-15 single adults who have a history of rough sleeping or in vulnerable housing situations. The offer will be around 12- 24 months, but dependant on levels of needs and move-on options. These beneficiaries will be supported by the community and team from NEWway. We will help them build on networks that include health services, training, employment and education, volunteer opportunities and household management/financial skills. These supports will allow for a move on from our services, that ensures their rough sleeping is non-recurrent.

Can you join us on this journey?”

To get in touch with a representative of the NEWway Project, please click here

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.

_{The courtyard at Appleby Blue almshouse BENOIT GROGAN-AVIGNON}

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

Search for lost portrait of Sir Thomas Dunk of Hawkhurst as almshouses celebrate 300 years

by Alan Smith for www.kentonline.co.uk, 21 May 2024

The hunt is on for two lost portraits of a 17th century knight and his wife.

Sir Thomas Dunk, from Hawkhurst, made a fortune during his lifetime from two principal businesses – the production of cloth and iron. But although he lived a lavish lifestyle at his impressive estate at Tongs Wood – now home to St Ronan’s School – he was also a generous benefactor to his village.

When he died, Sir Thomas (1657 to 1718) left land in Hawkhurst with a large bequest and instructions that almshouses should be built there, along with a boy’s school and a house for the schoolmaster. The result was the Dunk’s Almshouses that still stand in a prominent position in the Highgate end of the village, and which still provide subsidised accommodation for those in need.

This year, the Dunk’s charity which runs the almshouses will be celebrating its 300th anniversary, with events including an exhibition about Sir Thomas and the history of the almshouses and the school he created.

However, what would have been the centrepiece of the exhibition – contemporary portraits of Sir Thomas and his wife – have been missing for more than 70 years. The portraits, the only known images of Sir Thomas and Lady Cornelia (1668–1717), hung for more than two centuries in the almshouses he created.

But in 1927 the Dunk’s trustees asked Hawkhurst Parish Council to hang the paintings in the Victoria Hall – then Hawkhurst’s main village hall (now The Kino cinema) – so they could be admired by more members of the public. They are known to have still been there in 1950 but around 1951 the hall was refurbished and somehow the paintings disappeared.

As a consequence, the charity does not have a single image of its most generous benefactor and has no idea what happened to the artwork.

A spokesman for the trustees said: “We really haven’t a clue. It would be complete speculation after all this time. But we’d dearly love to know.”

It was not until Elizabeth Clark began researching the history of the charity in 1989 and found references to the paintings that it was even realised they were missing. Sir Thomas came from a family of “great clothiers” with their wealth derived from centuries of textile production. But it was Sir Thomas who diversified into iron-making using the rich timber from Hawkhurst’s woods to fuel the furnaces to smelt the iron ore. He received his knighthood from Queen Anne.

He and his wife had no surviving children but Sir Thomas also owned a large house in London and a further estate in Chieveley in Berkshire. He left the latter to William Richards (1690–1733), who is believed to have been an illegitimate son, on condition that he changed his name to Dunk. William had a daughter Anne, who, in 1841, married George Montagu, 2nd Earl of Halifax, who also took on the surname Dunk, finally making the family part of the aristocracy.

Sir Thomas Dunk's gravestone within St Laurence Church in Hawkhurst — _{Sir Thomas Dunk’s gravestone within St Laurence Church in Hawkhurst}

Sir Thomas had served as Sheriff of London in 1711 and was also a governor of St Thomas’ Hospital in the capital. His initial bequest provided for six almshouses in Rye Road but over the years they have been expanded and there are now 10 one-person flats and four bungalows.

Sir Thomas is buried at St Laurence Church at The Moor in Hawkhurst.

He also provided for a school, initially for 20 pupils. Two other famous sons of the village were educated there – William and Reginald Rootes – who went on to establish the Rootes Motorcar Company.

_{A Dunks school photo from the early 1900s. William and Reginald Rootes are among the pupils}

But the school closed in 1923. The school hall remains and is let out for village meetings and events, the income from which is used by the Dunk’s Educational Foundation to support the education of Hawkhurst’s children with grants where needed.

The Dunk’s charity will celebrate its tercentenary with an exhibition open from 10am till 4pm each day in the old schoolroom over three days from June 20 to June 23.

Children from Hawkhurt’s three schools – the primary school, St Ronan’s and Marlborough House – are also taking part in an art competition to reflect its long history. There will also be a grand raffle.

The chairman of trustees, Nigel Collinson, said, “By making a bit of a splash in celebrating the 300-year milestone, the trustees are hoping to spread the word about Hawkhurst’s great son and to encourage active involvement from the wider community so that Dunk’s can sail safely through the turbulent waters of the next 300 years.”

_{Lord Halifax and his secretaries, a painting by Daniel Gardner}

_{An interior of one of the Dunks Almshouses}

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the trust’s clerk, Lisa Panting, by email to dunksclerk@outlook.com, or call 01580 388973.

posted 28 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.

The almshouse movement’s next philanthropists?

“Building a new generation of almshouses could restore the Church’s sense of social mission – in partnership with industry!“

The Times recently published an article by James Vitali on ‘How the Church of England can help solve the housing crisis’, who writes that:

“Building almshouses on its 100,000 acres of land would be locally popular, nationally valuable and give the church a fresh sense of mission.”

Association CEO, Nick Phillips agrees, adding:

“Building a new generation of almshouses could restore the Church’s sense of social mission – in partnership with industry!“

Historically, almost all almshouse charities have been founded through a collaboration of the Church and philanthropy. Almshouses are places where people, hope and friendships flourish, but there are just not enough almshouses to meet demand. James is, therefore, asking the right questions but should we also be asking others as well as the church?

The Church and almshouses have been intertwined since the start of the almshouse movement

The Church, ancient though it is, has also been a driver for social change in some areas such as housing, especially in the creation of almshouses. It is hard to imagine a time when there were no provisions for housing those in need – the almshouse model has been the backbone throughout the centuries in providing warm, safe, secure homes based on the original spirit of hospitality. These were originally led by the church; ‘hospitals’ from the medieval period still exist and operate today doing what they were designed to do when King Steven was the King of England.

The Church, therefore, has a position to uphold in supporting housing for those in need and The Coming Homes Report Led by The Archbishop of Canterbury unpins the Church’s position today. So, I agree with James – why not expand the reach of the Church to make an impact that could last for another thousand years by releasing Church land to build almshouses today so that, in the true spirit of charity, more people in need may be provided with a safe, comfortable, affordable home?

The Church could offer part of the solution as it holds land in places where almshouses have their best impact. A partnership between almshouse charities and the Church must generate more almshouse schemes, but I wonder if this is only part of the solution. Today, when we see independent reports demonstrating that almshouses actually contribute value to the State and that living in an almshouse can even extend life expectancy, we should be asking, “Who else could continue the one-thousand-year almshouse legacy?” We could also be asking, “Where are all the industry philanthropists now who once stood shoulder to shoulder with the Church?”

History shows that other great institutions established almshouses and many of the Livery Companies and industries are still very committed to the almshouse model because they know it supports the wellbeing of residents. The Weavers, Ironmongers, Skinners, Mercers, Lightermen, Printers, Leathersellers and many other Worshipful Companies regarded them then and still today, for their great added value in housing people in a community of good neighbours. Big industry philanthropists have, for example, supported retired miners and those who worked in the printing industry and we also see cases where the military have embraced the almshouse model. As well as encouraging the Church to step forward, should we ask industry leaders of today such as technology companies, finance companies and property companies to build almshouses too?

Does the Government play a role in the almshouse renaissance?

The Government, through Housing Associations, creates housing at scale, but it is just not enough in many cases. With thousands of people in sub-standard housing and over one million on council waiting lists, urgent action is needed, and what could be better than creating more almshouses? Run by voluntary trustees in a cost-effective way that alleviates some of the burden on State finances, together with their provision of warm, comfortable homes within special almshouse communities must surely be the way forward.

One of The Almshouse Association’s founders said,
“almshouses are too important to leave to the State” and these are telling words.

Society’s problems today can’t all be fixed by the Government, but the Government can help by giving almshouse charities the same opportunity as large Housing Associations and private companies, especially by recognising the almshouse model as ‘affordable housing’ in its planning policy.

Almshouses are charities in spirit and function, communities of good neighbours living together for their mutual comfort and well-being rather than being ‘just housing’. The Church and its land must be part of the solution for almshouse residents and the Church itself. Let’s bring together Church, industry and Government to add more of this great value asset to society and help build more almshouses.

To read James Vitali’s article, dated Wednesday April 24, 2024, please click here.
For Policy Exchange’s broader work on housing, please click here.

Further reading:

Almshouses for the twenty-first century? | The Church of England
2021 CofE Coming Home Report – coe-4794-hcc-full-report-v6.pdf (churchofengland.org)

posted 8 May 2024

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

Lessons Learnt – former Charity Commission CEO reflects

As Helen Stephenson CBE steps down from her position as CEO of the Charity Commission, in one of her final speeches as CEO, she reflects on 7 lessons she has learnt about the charity sector – one for each of her years in office..

The role of charity in society
No right number of charities
The Charity Commission’s resources versus expectation creep
The balance of regulation
Scrutiny of charity leaders
Volunteer trusteeship must remain attractive proposition
Purpose-ride or die

Nick Phillips, CEO of The Almshouse Association believes that, for him, one of these reflections stands out as the most valuable and, in many ways, informs all the rest – Helen’s last comment on leadership and direction:

“When I reflect on what it is that makes the difference between a charity that succeeds and one that gets lost along the way, it is this: a great charity is one whose trustees and wider leadership, over time, are led always and alone by the charity’s purposes. Not by whim, fashion, or funding but by a shared commitment to delivering on the purposes that got the charity on the register in the first place.

This is easy to say, but it can be difficult to achieve day to day.

It requires consistent leadership and oversight by trustees who are prepared to support, help and hold to account their executive team. It requires confidence, resilience, and courage – including the courage to say no to funding or a contract that would lead the charity away from its core purpose.

Please, if you take anything away with you from what I’ve said today, let it be this: that as trustees you are first and foremost the steward of your charity’s mission. Whatever talent, experience or skill got you on the board in the first place – once you’re there, your purpose is the charity’s purpose. Don’t allow yourself to be swayed from that purpose by anyone or anything.”

Helen Stephenson CBE

Having worked for and supported many charities over the years, CEO Nick Phillips agrees, commenting,

“Many charities succeed and achieve great things – all have had clarity of purpose in all they do. Almshouses have their Governing Documents that may include a Scheme, Will, letter of intent… but the key is the founders wishes and for almshouse charities, those wishes are, fundamentally, for the provision of warm, safe, secure homes for people in need.

“Where I have seen some charities fail is when they lose sight of their true mission. As one of our founders said when forming The Almshouse Association 78 years ago. “A good charity will always survive and thrive.” And no truer statement could be made for the many, many almshouse charities that have continued to stick to their mission of delivering their founders wishes, century after century – to provide safe, warm and affordable homes for people that need them.”

To read Helen’s speech, please click here: Reflections on my time as CEO – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

posted 25 April 2024

What is affordable housing?

Association CEO, Nick Phillips asks ” what is affordable housing?”

Back in 2015, our friends at Shelter asked this question and we are still wondering what the answer is.

The term ‘Affordable Housing’ is thrown around in all circles as if there is one defining measure. The world is complex and generalisations save time, but there is a cost to having such a broad measure – the cost is the availability of truly, genuinely, affordable homes.

The Government sets a bar of affordable housing being less than 80% of market rents. Have you seen market rents? 80% of unaffordable is still unaffordable for most people on an average income, let alone basic wage.

Today, the average rent in London is circa £2,200 per month. Even with the higher Local Housing Allowance afforded to London residents, most will be hundreds of pounds short every month. The shortfall is about 30% and this level of unaffordability is repeated across the country.

Instead of rent, almshouse residents pay a weekly maintenance contribution (WMC). Most almshouse charities set their WMC to cover their costs and usually it’s within the Local Housing Allowance figure. This model of affordability dates back to the early days of almshouses and, in most almshouse charity governing documents, you will find the wonderful phrase that, in my mind, is a true measure of how affordable housing can be defined:

“by living in this almshouse the residents will face no greater hardship”.

I have certainly not seen a better measure of affordability ….. and yet many local councils across the country still do not recognise almshouses as being ‘affordable housing´ in the same way some, less affordable, housing is being supported. When building new almshouses, some almshouse charities are still being required by the local council to pay an ‘affordable housing’ charge which is then paid out to other housing providers who are building houses that are defined as ‘affordable housing’, but often less affordable than the new almshouses being built!

We will be asking the next Government for proper recognition of affordable housing and proper recognition for almshouses. Let’s have an even playing field for the oldest form of genuinely affordable housing and this exemplar model of community housing. We will remind Government that almshouses contribute over £40m every year through reduced calls on state resources.

Nick Phillips
CEO | The Almshouse Association