Double celebrations in Sonning!

Robert Palmer Almshouses in Sonning on Thames opened their garden gate to community and companionship for a celebration garden party.

To celebrate their 175th anniversary and the 75th anniversary of The Almshouse Association, Mike Hart, Chair of the board of trustees and his team held a wonderful summer afternoon garden party at their beautiful almshouses in Sonning on Thames on the 11th July 2021.

Former Prime Minster, Theresa May and Philip May joined Nick Phillips, CEO of The Almshouse Association at The Robert Palmer Almshouses for a champagne toast and afternoon tea.

Residents, trustees and friends gathered in the beautiful gardens to celebrate the community spirit of almshouses. The event was blessed with sunshine and everyone really enjoyed meeting up again after such a long time. It was a such joy to be a part of; to see the smiles and hear the laughter and raise a toast to community and kindness!

Theresa May is an active supporter of her local almshouses and The Almshouse Association we would like to thank her wholeheartedly for her support of the almshouse movement across the country.

Very Special Thanks also go to the trustees and all the residents for making the day so special for everyone!

Scan of newspaper article in the Henley Standard – click here
Link to online version

Posted 12 July 21

For more almshouse news and stories, visit Almshouse news and stories | (almshouses.org)

Civil Society: Association CEO has his say

Civil Society News recently published an article by The Almshouse Association CEO Nick Phillips in their Voices section.

Nick talks about how almshouses continue to play an important role in today’s affordable housing arena and how the almshouse movement is busy building more almshouses for the future. He asks

“Why is this ancient housing model still relevant when we have housing associations, council and social housing?  

It is interesting to note that in pockets of villages and towns across the country, the demand for this form of small, intimate, community housing is growing. There are between 500 – 700 new almshouse dwellings in the process of being built now and many more at the planning stage.  The demand for almshouse accommodation outstrips supply in most areas.  

It is not just the fact that they fill a gap in the housing need; they often seem to fill a vital gap in the lives of the residents.  Recent research recognised the value of almshouses in preventing isolation and loneliness with their communal courtyard gardens. They represent a form of genuinely affordable housing that includes neighbourliness as one of its priorities”

To read the article in full, please visit Nick Phillips: Why almshouses have a role to play today and for tomorrow (civilsociety.co.uk)

Alternatively, you can download a copy of the article here.

Posted July 21

click here to read more ‘Almshouse News and Stories’

New homes for single homeless in Worcester

On 2nd July, Worcester M.P. Robin Walker, together with the Mayor, Councillor Stephen Hodgson, and Bishop John Inge, formally unveiled a plaque to commemorate the opening of “Stillingfleet House, the latest 25 almshouse flats created for the single homeless by Worcester Municipal Charities.

Pictured here with them, is Paul Griffith MBE, Chairman of the Charities since 1985, who said:-

“Money management is essential for charities to keep pace with inflation. Since 2013 the Charity has been pursuing a wholesale property re-investment strategy to provide affordable almshouses for the single homeless here. Since 2016 we have been helped by the Almshouse Consortium and Homes England to create, 64 new flats “over the shops” and in empty office buildings. Selling commercial charity property between 2013 and 2018 realised £2,114,100.00. Then between 2016 and 2021, twenty one grants came from Homes England totalling £1,529,633. The Charity also borrowed £500,000 from Unity Trust Bank to help with cash flow.

“The Trustees are delighted to have found an exciting new strategy that provides housing for the homeless, whilst also making a reasonable commercial profit, at a time when good investment returns are difficult to find, and affordable flats for the homeless are in very short supply. The £150,000 rent we lost from the Home Office, when Probation moved out in 2019, will be virtually replaced by the £147,000 rents from the 25 flats, all of which will be spent on helping the poor, and creating 4 more flats for the homeless already in the pipeline.”  

Paul Griffiths

Nick Phillips, CEO of The Almshouse Association was invited to the event and was impressed not just by the quality of the build but the fantastic use of the charities resources in turning commercial investments into almshouses for those in very immediate need.

“The partnership between Worcester Municipal and Citizens Advice is unique and inspirational. The people occupying these almshouses faced years living on the streets. These almshouses can be life changing opportunities for young homeless people in Worcester.”

Nick Phillips

Posted July 21

Top images left and right, supplied by Saffer Cooper, Building Consultants. Top centre and below supplied by Worcester Municipal Charities

click here to read more ‘Almshouse News and Stories’

Survey shows happy residents

The Hospital of St John the Evangelist and of St Anne in Okeham is believed to be the oldest charity in the county of Rutland, having been established for the provision of almshouse accommodation in 1399. 

The story of the charity begins with its foundation by William Dalby in 1399, by virtue of a Licence granted by King Richard II. The original intention was that the hospital should have two chaplains, and should provide accommodation for twelve poor men.

The property was confiscated during the Abolition of Chantries actions of the 16th Century, before being rescued by Archdeacon Robert Johnson, who bought back the land and then obtained a Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth I. This 1597 Royal Charter extended the purpose of the charity to helping both men and women, with a single Hospital able to accommodate up to 20 individuals.

During the late 18th / early 19th century the properties fell into disrepair, and most of the buildings (with the exception of the original Chapel) disappeared when the Midland Railway was constructed across the charity’s land in the 1840’s.

Today it has over 100 properties and is managed on a day-to-day basis by a team of six staff, who are answerable to a Board of Governors which form the Trustee Body.

David Pattinson (Chairman); Mrs Margaret Ward (Resident); Mrs Elaine Woodhead (Chair – House Committee)

Paul Martin is CEO and Clerk to the Governors and has been with the Hospital of St John the Evangelist and of St Anne in Okeham (SJSA) since 2014, having previously been employed in a senior management role within two other large almshouse charities.

Paul manages the resident’s satisfaction survey, which is distributed bi-annually in March and is a professional benchmark for small housing providers. It provides a measure for the running of small charitable organisations, managing staff, repairs and location. 

This year’s survey had a tremendous response from their residents with a whopping 97 percent of responders indicating satisfaction with the service. 99 percent of responders highlighted they found the service provided by SJSA helpful.

This incredible response is remarkable in the face of the pandemic and Paul said: “This excellent set of results was a ringing endorsement that the structural and staffing changes, introduced at the time of the last survey, have had a positive impact on the wellbeing of the beneficiaries.”

David Pattinson, Chairman of the governors commented: “What a brilliant result! I am delighted that virtually all our residents are so happy with what we provide. It is a great tribute to the hard work of staff and governors in what has been really challenging times.”

References:
Kerry Coupe ; kerry.coupe@iliffepublishing.co.uk
Published in Rutland and Stamford Mercury 17:00, 25 May 2021

Posted 7 July 21

click here to read more ‘Almshouse News and Stories’

APPG: How did almshouses perform during the pandemic?

APPG on Almshouses holds session on almshouse response to coronavirus

On July 1st, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Almshouses, of which The Almshouse Association is Secretariat for, held a session to discuss how almshouse charities operated during the coronavirus pandemic.

As part of the discussion we heard from three almshouse charities:

  • Paul Mullis – Durham Aged Mineworkers Homes Association, North East
  • Juliet Ames-Lewis – Richmond Charities, London
  • Andrew Barnes – Great Hospital, Norwich

All three discussed how the pandemic had forced them to quickly act to ensure that residents were kept safe and comfortable as lockdown was introduced. They agreed that the small scale, community focused almshouse model provided them with the flexibility to quickly make the necessary decisions, based upon the strong personal knowledge they have of each individual resident.

It was clear from the testimony that the strength of the almshouse community in each charity was vital to fostering resilience in the residents.

Similarly, the speakers noted that all of them would have benefited from almshouses having greater recognition, particularly from their local councils. It was felt that the lack of appreciation for the model meant there had been unnecessary delays at the start of the pandemic.

“The Almshouse Association was created 75 years ago this year on the back of a world war. The founders of the Association saw the strength and resilience of the almshouse model and had faith that it should continue. What it was they saw in the model is recorded as the strength of charitable purpose going beyond just housing, local trustees knowing their local residents and the strength of the community bonds. When we hear about how the Great Hospital, Durham Aged Mineworkers and The Richmond Charities responded to the pandemic it is clear that structure, model and spirit carried them through. The challenges today seems to resonate …. That is about awareness of the almshouse model and how they operate. There is work for us to do!”

Chief Executive Nick Phillips | The Almshouse Association

The Almshouse Association would like to thank everyone who participated in the session, especially our speakers; Paul, Juliet and Andrew.

We would also like to thank APPG co-chairs Siobhain McDonagh MP and Sally-Ann Hart MP for their continued support.

To find out more about the APPG on Almshouses, please click here.

Posted 5 July 2021

click here to read more ‘Almshouse News and Stories’

Wivenhoe Housing Trust: paving the way to celebrations

Trustees of The Wivenhoe Housing Trust are looking forward to joining in with the national celebrations to mark 75 years of The Almshouse Association.

This almshouse charity, based in Essex, is responsible for the provision of thirteen properties over two sites in Wivenhoe. The Mary Ann Sanford Almshouses (1873) and Jonathan Feedham Almshouses (built 1974 from a legacy bequeathed 1718)

A Celebration Garden Party is set for Saturday 18th September 2021 in the newly re-vamped courtyard at Jonathan Feedham Court. The location is most appropriate as the area has recently undergone significant improvements. The courtyard now benefits from a new drainage system. Significantly, improved access to the garden and floral beds has been achieved by raising the paved ground surface level across the yard to meet with that of the front door levels of the bungalows. The courtyard is now a much nicer space for residents to socialise enhancing opportunities for improved health and wellbeing and promoting a greater interest in plants and gardening.

The garden project had taken a few years to achieve and plans were afoot to hold an opening ceremony in 2020. Alas, pandemic restrictions meant that this couldn’t go ahead.

Now, an excellent opportunity awaits the Wivenhoe Housing Trust. A Grand Celebration Garden Party will enable combine their opening ceremony with marking the 75th anniversary of the formation of The Almshouse Association. A 1940s themed afternoon will see all residents from both almshouse locations attending to enjoy afternoon tea with The Town Mayor of Wivenhoe, The Trustee Board, Representatives from The Wivenhoe Society, Wivenhoe Helping Hands and the two local schools. (A drawing competition is under way for local school children on an almshouse theme and awards will be presented at the garden party).

If available, a 1940s gramophone will play records of the era and entertainment is scheduled from The Hoolies, Wivenhoe’s Sea Shanty Crew and the Colchester Town Crier is on hand for any special announcements.

Words by Robert Needham. To read more about the renovations project, please click here .

Contacts
Robert Needham  01206 824446 noisybeggar@btinternet.com     Peter Hill  01206  823073 peter@toadhall2.co.uk   Chair of Trustees
Further information   www.wivenhoehistory.org.uk 
Searches:   1) Almshouses  2) Major Project at Jonathan Feedham Court

June 21

click here to see all ‘Almshouse News and Stories’

Giving Something Back

by Chris Morton, Chairman of Louisa Lilley Almshouses

‘Giving Something Back’ to society was something that really came to fore in my life a few years ago when I was considering retirement from being a Commercial Accountant.

I felt that The Lilley Homes Almshouses was something I could “contribute” to and, as they say, “bring something to the table”.

The Trust is over 90 years old and Miss Louisa Lilley, who died in 1930, was part of a Shoe Manufacturing Family in the local town who bequeathed an amount in her estate to establish the Trust which now looks after after 20 one bedroom bungalows built around large gardens with residents ranging from 60 to 93 years old.

After attending a few of the trustee meetings, I felt I could contribute and was encouraged to put forward my ideas. My first proposal was a PPM (planned, preventative maintenance) regime that was welcomed by the Board, benefitting both the residents and trustees, then 2 years ago, the Chairman of Trustees asked me if I would take over as Chairman (he was in his 90s and had been Chairman for 40 years).

I was honoured to accept, and decided that this would fill in the “work” gap when I retired. The Louisa Lilley Trust has a history that needs to be protected and enhanced, so as we look forward, I believe the trust needs to make sure all our properties are kept in a condition suitable for the 21st Century, but keeping the vision that Louisa Lilley portrays in her will, which is still our ” bible.”

We have a Duty of Care to all our residents, and as such, we make sure that they are as safe as possible with the use of a call care system and our paid secretary visits all residents on a fortnightly basis.  

We encourage a community spirit and intend to hold an Open Gardens event for a local charity this summer. We will give all residents a “Tea Party” on the same day and combine this with The Almshouse Association 75th Anniversary.

We are also looking at our carbon footprint along with sustainability, in everything we do, and one of the things we are currently exploring the possibility of putting solar panels on all our properties, although we are mindful that we if we do so, it must not spoil the “look” of the almshouses. Once Covid 19 restrictions have been lifted, we will be improving our roof insulation and we have also put natural water butts in both our complexes to reduce our reliability on tap water for our gardens.

The Trust is also looking at building new housing in our current grounds, to increase the number of almshouses we have to offer. These will be replicas of the ones we already have, but designed specifically, for the elderly, in the 21st Century.

June 21

click here to see all ‘Almshouse News and Stories’

Almshouse charity steps in to help

A retired Uppingham couple who risked becoming homeless have moved into a newly created flat in Oakham owned by Rutland’s oldest charity, St John & St Anne (SJSA).

The almshouse charity stepped in to help Terence & Mary Gaythorpe after they were given notice to quit their previous home by their landlord. The two-bedroom flat, formerly the charity’s office was transformed into a home, with the help of a grant from Homes England and a loan from The Almshouse Association.

Mr & Mrs Gaythorpe have lived in the county for 50 years. Their flat brings SJSA’s housing stock for retired people to 103 properties spread over five sites in Oakham & Uppingham.

It is so pleasing that this new property will ensure that a local couple can now continue to enjoy their retirement years without having to repeatedly navigate the private rental market.

St John and St Anne Almshouses CEO Paul Martin

The Almshouse Association is so pleased to hear that an Almshouse Association loan has helped to make this possible for the charity and for these newest almshouse residents. With the help of our supporters and generous donations, we hope to be able to offer many more grants and loans to charities in need to that they may continue to provide safe, warm homes to people in need in their community.

If you would like to find out more about supporting almshoue charities or making a legacy in your will, please do contact our Head of Fundraising at susanvanleest@almshouses.org

You may also like to visit our Leave a legacy | (almshouses.org) page.

click here to see all ‘Almshouse News and Stories’

Association visits Amersham almshouse charity

The Almshouse Association CEO Nick Phillips and Assistant Policy & Engagement Officer Jack Baldan were pleased to be invited to visit Amersham United Charites on June 22 2021 by Howard Hughes, Len Tridgell and Simon Partridge, the trustees of the charity.

The visit involved discussions on the various challenges the charity has experienced when maintaining and remodelling a listed building.

The renovations the charity is seeking planning permission for to improve the layout and quality of accommodation on offer involve almost all internal works. Plans include making the dwellings more energy efficient and tackling issues around condensation, and the aim of the improvements is ultimately to improve the quality of life for the beneficiaries of the charity, whilst also futureproofing a grade 2 listed building.

The visit also allowed trustees to discuss hurdles the charity has faced during the process, particularly concerning the position of the conservation officer (HBO). This is an issue that the Association is familiar with and we will endeavour to do our part in seeing this project granted permission so that residents can enjoy warmer, healthier homes.

We would like to thank Amersham Charities for their time. For their generosity in sharing thoughts about lessons learned, condensation issues, conservation approaches and how the Board has remained motivated and focused despite delays.

The visit highlighted the commitment of the trustees to improving living standards for the charity’s beneficiaries, as well as their determination that there be a source of genuinely affordable housing in the community in perpetuity. 

Posted 24 June 21

click here to see all ‘Almshouse News and Stories’

New sculpture for Bond’s Lodge almshouses

A new sculpture from a renowned Coventry artist has been unveiled in the courtyard garden of a new almshouse development for the elderly.

George Wagstaffe, famed for such works as The Phoenix and The Naiad, has created the new sculpture named ‘Waters of Separation’ for Bond’s Lodge in Coventry.

He was commissioned to create a centrepiece for the large courtyard garden by Coventry Church (Municipal) Charities, which runs the new £6.8 million almshouse.

Residents, Coventry dignitaries and friends of the charity were invited to a ceremony to celebrate the new sculpture which features two bronze figures linked with a water installation, is joined by a poem penned by Wagstaffe, which can be read on a nearby plaque.

One of the bronze figures is in the image of Wagstaffe’s late wife Beryl, and the roots of the new installation can be traced back to time spent in Wales during the latter stages of Beryl’s illness.

George Wagstaffe said

“The sculpture was originally a painting I did of the same title. The idea is to show separation through, death, illness, divorce or any other means. The water running between the two figures runs away and then also runs together showing how, while separation divides, it can also unify.

The poem came later when I was walking through fields near my studio. I looked into a pond and it was so clear. I could see the clouds and sky mirrored in the calm pool. There was a slight breeze and in that slight breeze, everything shattered. That showed how life can change in an instant.

It’s a lovely setting here at Bond’s Lodge. Very much like The Naiad I did 60 years ago; this sculpture is part of the landscape. It’s a beautiful setting amongst flowers, plants and water.”

Lord Mayor of Coventry Cllr John McNicholas with Lady Mayoress June McNicholas were in attendance for their first engagement since being appointed to the roles. The unveiling event also saw an address from Methodist minister Pauline Warner, who discussed her friendship with Wagstaffe and Beryl.

Pauline said “I work at Abbey Park Methodist Nursing home in Whitley, and it was there that I first met George and Beryl. Her mind was razor sharp and stayed sharp to the end. George has called his work the Waters of Separation and it is the experience of being separated from Beryl that has driven this piece. Everyone who has moved or will be moving into these new apartments carry with them memories of their lives. I’m certain that in this lovely garden there will be more laughter than weeping, as the people from Bond’s Lodge sit here and together share their memories.”

Victor Keene MBE, Chairman of Coventry Church (Municipal) Charities, added “It’s a magnificent sculpture and the perfect centrepiece to the courtyard garden here at Bond’s Lodge. We have an artwork at each of our almshouses in Coventry – which now house over 150 residents. We’re not only looking after the comfort of our residents, there is a spiritual dimension, and the work of art helps to fill that need.

George is a well-known, highly-respected artist and we’re pleased he worked with us on this sculpture. We’re now at full-capacity at Bond’s Lodge and the residents love it here. This new sculpture will only add to that experience.”

PICTURE CAPTION:  From left to right – Matthew White, Victor Keene MBE, Pauline Warner, George Wagstaffe, Lord Mayor of Coventry Cllr John McNicholas and Lady Mayoress June McNicholas

Posted 10 June 21

click here to see all ‘Almshouse News and Stories’