Almshouse Stories | The Almshouse Association

Burnham-on-Sea almshouses mark historic anniversary

written by Burnham-On-Sea.com
September 15, 2022

Almshouses in Burnham-on-Sea made a splash in the local news with their special anniversary celebration attended by trustees, residents and local dignitaries. Nick Phillips, CEO of The Almshouse Association was delighted to be on the guest list and to be asked to say a few words.

“A special event has been held in Burnham-On-Sea to mark the historic anniversary of a set of almshouses.

Ellen’s Cottages in Burnham-on Sea’s Berrow Road were built in 1868 with an endowment given by philanthropist John Saunders in memory of his late wife. The cottages have since been offered to “poor widows and spinsters of good character” and are now overseen by a charitable trust, which is marking its 75th year.

This week’s event was attended by over 50 local people including the charitable trust’s trustees, local residents and dignitaries. The function started with a period of silence and a tribute to The Queen from Burnham’s Mayor Cllr Lesley Millard and a prayer from Rev Graham Witts.

Trustee Tony Roost explained the history behind the cottages and its link with the philanthropist. He called the building “a real historic gem.” He noted that philanthropist John Saunders was born in 1809 and his father was a successful wine importer. When John’s wife Ellen Louisa died at age 53 in Burnham in 1865, he decided to build Ellen’s Cottages in her memory for the benefit of ‘poor women’.

His will amounted to £80,000, which in today’s money would amount to around £9.5milliion. The money was left to hospitals, a refuge and charities that helped people with untreatable diseases, the destitute, and homeless.

During this week’s event, Nick Phillips, Chief Executive of the Almshouses Association, praised the local team who oversee the building, adding that they have had to undertake major repair work in recent years.

The Mayor added that the building is “a wonderful community asset” that will benefit local people for years to come.”

The residents of the almshouses joined in the event to mark the anniversary

The event included music from the King Alfred Concert Band

Trustees and guests mark the special occasion

photos credit burnham-on-sea.com

posted Oct 22

Almshouses in Wiltshire Life

Wiltshire Life has just published the first of three articles by Gary Lawrence taking a look into the almshouse world, beginning with a visit to one of the oldest.

Lawrence begins his piece in the sitting room of Winifred Alford, an 88-year-old former hospital almoner who has lived at the College of Matrons almshouse for 18 years, having moved there from Donhead St Andrew near Shaftesbury where she felt no longer able to live on her own somewhere so remote.

” I feel very fortunate to live here, it is a beautiful building and it has so much history. I feel secure, I don’t have to worry about the upkeep or maintenance of a home and there are people close by should they be needed”
Winifred, resident

Wiltshire Life has kindly shared a copy of the article with us. Its beautifully and sensitively written and we look forward to their next articles that include Salisbury Almshouses, the Hospital of St John in Heytesbury and Zeal’s Almshouses. Please click here to read in full.

posted 6 October 2022

Almshouses for young people in Surrey

The Poland Trust

The Almshouse Association was honoured to be invited to the opening ceremony of new almshouses built by The Poland Trust to house younger people in housing need

Celebrating the opening of the new almshouses Sept 22

The Poland Trust is a charity based in Brockham, Surrey originally set up by Sidney Michael Poland who lived in the village and supported many village organisations during his lifetime and arranged for the charity to be established after his death.

In the 1950s the first trustees built six almshouses and a warden’s flat for villagers in hardship, need or distress on land left by Mr Poland. Since then four more units have been built at Poland House but there was no further space at that beautiful site just under Box Hill.

Fifteen years ago the trustees decided that the elderly in Brockham and the three surrounding villages of Betchworth, Buckland and Leigh were well served by available accommodation but that there was a need for affordable housing for a younger generation.

It took twelve years to find a suitable site in an area of outstanding natural beauty in the greenbelt until a local landowner offered the Trust a corner of one of his fields which enabled the real work to start.

Negotiations began with Mole Valley District Council for the site to be designated as a Rural Exception Site for planning purposes and the Council provided a significant grant for the project which will provide homes for applicants from their Housing List with a connection to the the villages. The site is large enough for twelve homes for almshouse residents and five self-build plots which the Trust has sold at 75% of market value to local residents with a covenant that they can only be sold on at 80% of market value and have to be offered to people in the local community.

A local Brockham architect drew plans which would provide four one-bed flats in a single almshouse building; two one-bed houses, five two-bed houses and one three-bed house in a courtyard for the almshouse dwellings; and five detached houses for the self-build plots all of which reflect the rural nature of this very sensitive area.

The trustees selected Scandia-Hus Ltd of East Grinstead as the builder as their timber-frame construction system provides high levels of insulation and should be low maintenance which is important for future generations of trustees. Scandia-Hus understood from the outset what the trustees were trying to achieve and have proved to be extremely good partners. From the architect’s plans which were used to obtain planning permission they agreed a fixed price contract with the trustees which included all the detailed drawings needed together with all the groundworks as well as the building work. This helped with the financial control of the project especially during a period of increasing material costs.

Financing the project is a combination of the grant from Mole Valley District Council, the sale of the self-build plots, the Trust’s own resources and a loan from CAF Bank. A large amount of money was spent before anything appeared out of the ground which was frustrating at the time, not least because a sophisticated flood alleviation scheme had to be incorporated in the design, but overall the project stayed close to the original expectations.

“The Almshouse Association was helpful to the trustees in persuading Mole Valley District Council that the twelve units owned by the charity should be almshouses rather than the rented accommodation with which the Council is more familiar and it helps the charity for all of its housing to be under the almshouse umbrella.”

As the project nears completion, the trustees are both happy and relieved that they have been able to create an asset for the local community in perpetuity and one of which they believe Mr Poland would approve.

Posted 3 October 22

HM The Queen Elizabeth II

The Almshouse Association board of trustees, staff and members, are deeply saddened by the death of the Queen.
Our heartfelt sympathy goes to the Royal Family who have been such a consistent inspiration through their uplifting patronage of The Almshouse Association and the wider almshouse movement.
The Queen’s devotion and selfless commitment to public service, will continue to be an example to us all.

On Monday 19th September 2022 The Almshouse Association office will be closed as we pay our respects to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Topping Out Ceremony at Girton Town Almshouse Charity

New High For Almshouses At Dovehouse Court

A Cambridge charity celebrated reaching a significant milestone in the building programme for its new almshouse development in Girton, with a Topping Out ceremony held on-site in May 22.

Representatives from Girton Town Charity, Barnes Construction, Northmores and Mole Architects assembled for the symbolic placement of the final ridge tile on one of the buildings to signify the completion of the build phase.

The next stage will be the installation of all the internal fixtures and fittings over the forthcoming six months, including electrics and plumbing. The project is on schedule with a completion date before the end of the year.

Dovehouse Court, which will comprise 15 almshouses and a new office for the charity, is being built to stringent Passivhaus standards. This results in low energy costs and improved indoor air quality, all made possible by installing energy-efficient windows and doors, with stricter levels of airtightness, mechanical ventilation and heat recovery, as well as high levels of building insulation.

Ann Bonnett, Chair of GTC said:

“It is excellent news that we have finished the build phase at Dovehouse Court and have marked the occasion with a Topping Out ceremony. The teams working on the project will now be focusing on the internal aspects of the build. In addition to welcoming back residents who lived in the former bungalows on the site, at the beginning of 2023 we will also be inviting applications from Girton residents over 55 or those who have a close connection to the Village, with the plan to implement a series of phased appointments in the early months of the year.”

Mark Hart, Joint Managing Director, Barnes Construction added:

“We are delighted to have reached this significant stage in our project at Dovehouse Court and are now working on the next phase leading to completion of these energy-efficient almshouses. I’d like to thank both the consultant team and our own team on-site, including our first Passivhaus Champion Ben Cross, who has ensured we have met all required criteria along the way.”

[Above photo: Topping Out at Dovehouse Court, left to right: Ian Bramwell, Senior Associate, Mole Architects; Jamie Saunders, Director, Northmores ; Mark Hart, Joint Managing Director Barnes Construction; and Marc Bermann, Trustee, Girton Town Charity.]

Starts at Home Day – 2nd September 2022

On this Starts at Home Day when housing associations up and down the land are celebrating supported housing and the positive impact it makes on thousands of lives, The Almshouse Association would also like to recognise the support offered by almshouse charities throughout the UK that are providing homes for over 36,000 people in housing need.

Care and support in the community has been described as a postcode lottery. This can be particularly true in rural areas where residents can feel disconnected from established support networks. This leaves us wondering what happens in these towns and villages when someone hits hard times in their lives?

In rural areas, almshouses are sometimes the only form of social housing.

Established over centuries, almshouse charities help to support the communities they serve by providing genuinely affordable local housing to those in need. Almshouses ensure the residents not only have a safe, warm roof over their heads, but are also able to remain within their community. This can make a significant difference in helping people to find their feet when things haven’t gone to plan, providing the support to retain their independence.

Maintaining and expanding this provision of supported housing is vital if we are to ensure that people who need extra support will always have a safe home that meets their needs.

This is a pressing need across the country, but particularly in our rural communities which do not benefit from a concentration of services within easy reach. To do this we need a broad spectrum of support – from government, both local and national, to new benefactors who want to help in their local area and local volunteers who can become trustees. Collectively, these groups can continue the tried and tested almshouse tradition into the future, providing support to create new homes in disconnected areas and breathing new life into existing charities.

This Starts at Home Day, The Almshouse Association is proud to champion the work of our members up and down the country, yet we know that we must continue to call for greater support. Supported housing, such as almshouses, makes a fantastic contribution and helps to save the government money.

Recent research showed that almshouses alone provide over £40m in annual financial benefits.

This contribution shows the great value that investment in this vital sector can bring. It is crucial that we proactively promote this work as we endeavour to secure the support it rightly deserves.

Almshouse Association members that would like to get involved and ensure the longevity of the almshouse movement could look to invite their local MP to visit their almshouse or write a letter to them. If you need any help with this, we have a template letter on our website you may wish to use (click here).

Members of the public wishing to offer support to either their local almshouse or the almshouse movement can get in touch with The Almshouse Association at www.almshouses.org and we will put you in touch with your local charity.

posted 1st September 2022

Blue Plaque for Marlborough Almshouses

Blue Plaque commemorating life of Duchess of Marlborough

written by: Laura Bell
Published: 11:34 AM August 8, 2022

[photo: Marlborough Almshouses in Hatfield Road. – Credit: Google]

Back in February 22, we picked up the story published by the Herts Advertiser which showcased the amazing legacy left by local Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. The article also lamented the lack of public recognition for her achievements, so it was wonderful to read their next instalment published on 8th August 2022….

“A Blue Plaque celebrating the life of courtier, politician and local landowner Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, will be installed in St Albans later this month.

Deputy Lord Lieutenant David Williams is the guest of honour at a special public ceremony at 2.30pm on August 29 at Marlborough Almshouses in Hatfield Road. The project is being funded by Blue Plaques St Albans, made up of several local organisations, businesses and representatives from the St Albans area including the district council and St Albans BID, working together to help make the city a vibrant and interesting place to live, work and visit.

Chairman Tim Boatswain explained:

“This is the fourth blue plaque installed by Blue Plaques St Albans and certainly well-deserved. Sarah was an extremely clever and astute woman who rose to be one of the most influential people of her time through her close relationship with Queen Anne.

It is said that because of her knowledge of government she could be a powerful friend but a dangerous enemy. Her almshouses have been a fine legacy for St Albans and we are delighted the trustees have invited the Deputy Lord Lieutenant to officially install the Blue Plaque.“

Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (1660-1744) circa 1700 by Sir Godfrey Kneller – Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

As a close confidante and advisor of Queen Anne (1665-1714), Sarah Churchill became the second most powerful woman in England.

Her husband John Churchill won many battles during the War of the Spanish Succession which led to the Queen awarding them the titles of Duke and Duchess of Marlborough plus the Manor of Woodstock which became the site of Blenheim Palace.

Sarah was probably born at Holywell House, St Albans in 1660 and John and Sarah maintained their strong connections with St Albans, regularly returning.

One of Sarah’s greatest legacies to St Albans was the Marlborough Almshouses, completed in 1736 for 18 men and 18 women, primarily veterans of her husband’s battles and servants, at a cost of £50,000 (the equivalent of £4 million today).

Back then, the residents of Marlborough Almshouses had to be sober and pious and with an income of less than £20 per annum. Rules for the residents included taking the sacrament three times in the year, observing a curfew of 9pm in winter and 10.30pm in summer, keeping the premises neat, with no swearing and no sub-letting, and not leaving the almshouses for a period longer than three days!

Today a voluntary Board of Trustees runs the almshouses providing unfurnished dwellings designed for the needs of older people (and rules have been relaxed somewhat!).

In 2018 Yorgos Lanthimos directed the film The Favourite in which the Duchess was played by Rachel Weiz and Olivia Coleman, who won an Oscar for her performance, was Queen Anne. “

There are many more nominees for a Blue Plaque. The cost of producing and installing a plaque is £550 and to help raise more funds St Albans and Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society (SAHAAS) are holding a talk on Sarah Churchill on Tuesday August 30 at 7.45pm: Dr John Morewood, President of SAHAAS will give a 45-minute talk via Zoom. The cost will be £8 per person and all receipts will go to fund more Blue Plaques in St Albans.

You can register for the talk via SAHAAS Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/not-just-a-favourite-the-formidable-sarah-duchess-of-marlborough-tickets-394936464597

If you are interested in becoming involved or want to donate to Blue Plaques St Albans, please contact: blueplaquesstalbans@gmail.com or phone Tim Boatswain on 07873 586074.

Case Study: Adam Cottam Almshouses, Lancashire

Trustees of Adam Cottam Almshouses have been working hard on their almshouse project over the past 4 years, with the assistance of funding from The Almshouse Association. In 2022 they embarked on the next stage of their project using the most recent loan and grant provided by the Association.

Project outline

The 2015 the Quinquennial Inspection Report showed that all 3 dwellings were in dire need of complete refurbishment, so in 2016 the Adam Cottam Almshouses Trust commenced a 4 year refurbishment project to make them damp free, safe and energy efficient.

The work would entail completely stripping out the dwellings and fitting out with new kitchens, bathrooms, windows and central heating.

When one of the properties became vacant in 2017, they began the ambitious programme to refurbish all 3 dwellings. The first dwelling was completed in 2017, the second in 2018 and the third in 2020.

The project

The project started by consulting a local architect to advise on how the dwellings might be refurbished. His estimate to remodel the living space and act as Clerk of Works ran to some thousands of pounds. A meeting between two trustees and the contractor led to a design which was adopted without the need for further architect involvement thereby making a significant cost saving.

The objective was to remodel by making maximum use of the limited space available. This involved removing internal walls in all 3 properties.

All 3 dwellings needed the walls to be completely stripped and tanked with K11 solution to act as a barrier to damp. No. 30 was plastered but Nos 34 & 36 were dry lined which was less costly and, more importantly, dried out quicker!

The almshouses do not comply with modern Building Regulations so ‘escape’ windows have been provided where possible, the contractor keeping the Borough Council Building Regulations Inspector involved at all times. All windows have been replaced with new double glazed units and the ceilings have been lowered and insulated.

The bathrooms were fitted with new shower cubicles, toilets and wash hand basins. New units were installed in all kitchens as well as new cookers, cooker hoods, hob units and fridges. All new electrics have been fitted throughout and a new boiler and central heating system installed. New carpets and blinds completed the internal renovations.

Finally all 3 dwellings have been fitted with new front doors/frames to further improve energy efficiency.

Project cost and funding solution

The total cost to refurbish all three properties and temporarily re-house residents was £100,000. The charity was able to cover some of the costs by drawing down from their trust funds and investments, however the remainder was covered by a loan and a grant from The Almshouse Association and a £20K grant from Whalley Parish Council.

The final stage

The 2015 Quinquennial Report highlighted the poor condition of the stone flag roof which requires frequent repairs with many flags delaminated and broken.

In 2021 the charity were awarded an additional loan and grant from The Almshouse Association and in 2022 embarked on the project to remove the existing flags and replace with reconstituted stone flags. In their latest progress update, the charity advised that they have just appointed a painter to paint the external woodwork and elevations and hope to have it finished by early September. Only the lopping of the trees to get organised now!

Many thanks to Clifford Ball of Adam Cottam Almshouses for sending in photos and reporting on the project. Congratulations to everyone involved.

August 2022

St John’s Winchester Almshouse Charity support for Ukraine

The work of the St John’s Winchester Charity was recently celebrated in the Hampshire Chronicle.

20th June 2022 by Kimberley Barber Winchester charity St John’s Winchester supports Ukraine | Hampshire Chronicle

“RESIDENTS and staff at a charity that helps older people in Winchester have shown their support for the Ukraine.
The group from St John’s Winchester said they are determined to do what they can to support Ukrainian people suffering as a result of the invasion of their country.
The charity has donated equipment such as beds, hoists, furniture, and medical equipment from its former Moorside Care Home to a Polish charity, Pomagamy Foundation, which transports equipment and supplies to support refugees and local populations in Ukraine including the Ternopil Region, East of Lviv.
So far, 17 trips with donated equipment have been made.
Clive Cook, St John’s chief executive, said: “We can only imagine the pain and suffering of those living with the consequences of the war in Ukraine. I want to thank Ukrainian colleague, Ina Matthias, and our staff and residents for inspiring us to take the small actions we can, to help victims of this terrible conflict.”
The trips have been organised by Ina, who is from Ukraine and works at St John’s and lives in Southampton.
As well as the donations, St John’s has opened staff recruitment to suitably qualified Ukrainian refugees.
Its almshouses are also available for occupation by evacuees coming to the country under the ‘Ukraine Family’ and ‘Homes for Ukraine’ Schemes – subject to age and other qualifications.
The residents of St John’s almshouses pitched in and they raised £731.79 for the Disasters Emergency Committee, Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal through donations and a fundraising coffee morning.
Residents and staff have also filled two cars with donations such as clothing and supplies, which has been delivered to the Polish Social Club, Southampton for onward transmission to Ukraine.

[photo credit: Hampshire Chronicle: Ina Matthias (fourth left), Clive Cook Almshouse Association Trustee and St John’s CEO (sixth left) and local volunteers supporting the transportation of St John’s Winchester Moorside equipment]

Posted July 2022

Small grant makes a big difference

Sometimes a small grant can make a big difference. Trustees at the Old Windsor United Charities (Penny Royal Almshouses) were worried about the rising cost of energy and the impact it would have on their almshouse residents so looked into ways to help.

With money very tight for the charity, they sought the help of The Almshouse Association and were awarded a grant of £2,835.00 to install foam loft installation in their almshouse roofs.

On completion of the work, we put the following questions to the almshouse charity clerk:

What challenges was the charity facing before the project was completed?

In light of significant increases in energy costs, we assessed all of the almshouses to see if we could make them more energy efficient; this is particularly important as the residents pay their own energy bills. Once we accessed the loft spaces of two of the houses in the Victorian block – Nos 28 & 29 – we saw that less than 50% of their loft spaces were insulated with fibreglass, we believe that this is due to access issues i.e. water tanks and pipework blocking access. We wanted to remedy before the next winter to help the householders keep their bills as low as possible. After doing some research, we discovered that spray foam was the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly; it would also be easier to install given the issues with access.

Our priority has been to replace all the old windows and those that weren’t double glazed and we were keen to have the funds to complete this before the next winter. It was looking challenging to do this and install the loft insulation as the cost of windows has increased by a staggering amount over the last two years and is still increasing due to supply chain issues and inflation.

How was this affecting the residents?

The main issue for the residents was the expectation of incredibly high energy bills. As a charity, we wanted to do everything we could to try and make the houses as energy efficient as possible – the bills will still be higher, but the new insulation should save the residents up to 45% on their heating bills.

What work was completed utilising the grant?

The installation of spray foam insulation in the loft space of two of the almshouses (No 28 & 29) in the Victorian block.

What would have happened had you not been successful in receiving a grant or loan?

We would have needed to take the money from Reserves or delay other maintenance work that we planned for this year. We have had to take large amounts out of our Reserves over the last two years to pay for a backlog of maintenance work and for two very costly refurbishments. We are hoping that we can now return some of the funds taken from the Reserves this year; to protect funds for future residents; to hopefully continue to receive distribution payments from our investments to ensure that we do not need to increase the Monthly Maintenance Charge paid by the residents too much in a time of high inflation.

What have the residents said about the changes?

The residents were incredibly happy that we were able to get their homes’ insulation improved. They are all very worried about the increased cost of living and particularly the terrifying increase in the cost of energy. We know that they will really feel the difference once the weather gets colder.