The Almshouse Association is 75 years old!

2021 is the year we celebrate our 75th Anniversary of supporting and representing almshouse charities.

By support, we mean offering advice, guidance, grants and loans to almshouse charities to ensure the delivery of an exemplar housing model that has stood the test of time for over a 1000 years and continues to provide value and efficiency in its delivery of local affordable community housing for people in housing need.

Our 75th anniversary provides us with the wonderful opportunity to join together with our member charities and celebrate their achievements and dedication to the Almshouse Movement.

‘In a recent YouGov Survey* new figures show that eight out of ten people (84%) are not aware of any almshouses in their local area and identified that over 68% of people do not know what an almshouse is.’

YouGov Nov 20

It’s now more vital than ever to raise the profile of the many tangible benefits that almshouses bring to local communities and the heritage that our member charities are helping preserve for future generations.

Almshouses add to the warmth of a community, a ‘community spirit’ that offers safety and security and make it possible for residents to continue to live independently yet still close to familiar surroundings. They provide a place for social interaction but also privacy.

To commemorate our 75th Anniversary year we will be shouting about our 1600+ member charities and the wonderful work they do. We are inspired on a daily basis by the commitment, dedication and tenacity of our members and the passion they have for their almshouse’s and the residents they support.

Throughout 2021, we will be campaigning heavily in Parliament to generate more support for the Almshouse Movement and will look at opportunities to generate more local and national press coverage, with press interviews taking place at chosen regional sites.

Our member charities will be holding local events in celebration of their achievements and the role their almshouses have played in supporting local people in housing need. The ‘Open Garden Campaign’ starts in early summer 2021 and will run all the way through to the early autumn months. Residents will be baking cakes and sharing their delights with their local communities in recognition of the Almshouse Movement. Watch out for invitations being displayed in your local shops and businesses and on social media sites and join them in their celebrations.

There is so much history and inspiration surrounding almshouses, and the story of this 1000 year old affordable housing model needs to be told boldy and proudly. Join us and enjoy learning more about almshouses and the passion behind this amazing housing model that is a secret about to be told.

Please support us!

There are over 30,000 almshouses across the UK and many are in the process of refurbishment and/or redevelopment. We also have an aim to create over 5,000 more almshouses in the next ten years.  The demand is there but we can’t do this without your help. 

The Almshouse Association offers grants and loans to member charities who need the financial support to create the warm and secure homes their residents deserve. We need your  support to help them continue to refurbish/redevelop their almshouses to achieve the exemplar standard that we all want to achieve.

We also need the support to build new, state of the art almshouses that use eco-friendly building methods. This will future-proof almshouses to ensure they can continue to provide affordable homes for local people in housing need.

Please help us raise the awareness of the wonder of almshouses and the importance of this affordable community housing model by perhaps holding your own garden party in aid of your local almshouses, or connect with us or your local almshouse charity on social media. You can even use our new hashtag !

#SupportAlmshouses

If you would like to know where your nearest almshouse charity is, or would like to know more about how you can help join us to celebrate our 75th Anniversary year, please contact us at our office in Wokingham and we would be happy to talk to you!

Join us and celebrate the spirit of almshouses!

*All figures, unless otherwise stated are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2001 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between18-19th November 2020.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+)

Posted 26 January 21

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors undertakes new report

Almshouses: a model of community housing for an ageing population.

A recent report recognises the great value almshouses have played in the provision of homes for people in housing need over the centuries.

Authored by Jenny Pannell and Dr Alison Pooley of Anglia Ruskin University, the report explores the characteristics of these small scale micro communities that appear in almost every market town and city in England. They identify the value of the architecture, the unique nature of almshouses as charitable enterprises, the drive of philanthropy in establishing them and the need and opportunity for more, as well as highlighting some of the barriers that are preventing almshouse development for the future – planning, awareness of their existence and lack of understanding of their great value to society.

This report goes a long way to demystify and raise awareness of the beloved, valued asset of our community and whilst the report is steered towards older people, some of the findings can apply to almshouses for younger people, families and mixed age groupings. It reinforces the good practice and experience which needs to be more widely disseminated by The Almshouse Association, promoting it as an exemplar of community-led housing, providing affordable dwellings and encouraging an intergenerational approach for the benefit of all alleviating isolation yet allowing for independence too.

The Almshouse Association endorses the comments that we recommendation ‘to reinterpret the past and reimagine for the future’. We are working with our members to see more almshouses built, historic almshouses refurbished and re-modelled and new charities established. As the report notes, almshouses will always only be part of the affordable housing solution, but to those residents who find themselves a home in an almshouse – they are often the most important part of their life.

Almshouses: a model of community housing for an ageing population – by Jenny Powell and Dr Alison Pooley of Anglia Ruskin University

Almshouses have existed in England for over a thousand years, and new almshouses are still being built. Almshouse charities provide social housing for over 36,000 people in around 30,000 dwellings. Most almshouse residents are older people (aged 50/60+ years), yet built environment and housing professionals, politicians and others concerned with the provision of housing for older people are more familiar with other social housing providers than with almshouse charities.

Research on almshouses tends to focus on their architectural and social history, detailing historic buildings, the past role of philanthropy, and the lives of residents, rather than their current or future role in housing provision. Recent reports addressing housing issues, and more specifically addressing rented housing for older people, have tended to concentrate on housing with care as solutions for future provision.

This research starts to fill the gap by taking a future-focused approach, looking at recent almshouse developments to inform housing provision in the 21st century. It explores their distinct and valuable contribution to housing older people to inform built environment and housing professionals, including architects and surveyors, funders, local authority housing and planning officers, prospective partner organisations, Homes England and the UK government.

The full report can be found here

About the RICS Research Trust
This research was funded by the RICS Research Trust. The Trust supports and promotes high-quality independent contributions to knowledge in the disciplines of land, real estate and construction.

Posted 5 January 2021

Merry Christmas from The Almshouse Association

Dear all,

The Almshouse Association would like to take this opportunity to thank all our members, trustees, clerks, wardens, volunteers, supporters and donors for all that you have done this year to support the almshouse movement. especially when so many of you have had your own challenges and commitments to take care of.

It is no exaggeration to say that it has been a dreadful year and maybe many people will not be celebrating Christmas. Covid has been such a pain, not just impacting our daily routine, but it seems to have seeped into our very psyche! It has made people ill directly and those it has not touched directly, it has made them scared and miserable. But! We are, however, surprisingly optimistic about the year ahead. It is so often said that you only appreciate “it” when “it” has gone. Friendship and community means everything in the almshouse world and this past year, we have desperately missed the company of others, meeting friends, sharing a chat, tea together, the relaxed atmosphere of a busy friendly pub, parties and celebrations, warm hugs and kisses – the thought of getting that all back is making us so excited. We feel that there really is now a light at the end of the tunnel and it is getting so much brighter and closer. We can actually dare to imagine life getting back to normal. It will be different for a while, we have all been knocked off our feet this year, one way or another, but we know we will really appreciate time spent with others that maybe we were too busy to appreciate before.

And, here at the Association in 2021 we will be celebrating 75 years of supporting and representing almshouses charities, we intend to celebrate the great work of almshouses, all the hard work of the trustees, clerks, wardens, volunteers, sponsors and donors, for keeping the spirit and function of almshouses going and keeping our almshouse residents warm and safe and loved.

We all wish you, your families and residents a peaceful, safe and warm Christmas and a bright, positive New Year!

Posted 16 December 2020

Gardens & People Almshouse Association Awards

Each year the Association invites members to showcase their almshouse projects and achievements by applying for one of our awards. With the outbreak of coronavirus at the beginning of 2020,  the Association had to put the Patron’s Award and Award for Excellence and Inspiration on hold but we are delighted to be able announce the winners of the 2019 Gardens and People Award.

The winners all highlighted the sense of community their gardening projects created and the beneficial impact on their residents’ physical and mental wellbeing.  These projects and spaces have no doubt brought great comfort to residents during this year’s lockdown.

Lady Lumley’s Almshouses, Thornton-le-dale, North Yorkshire – set up a tea and chatter group, which now has 20 regular attendees. For the past three years they have also held an open day and in 2019 the residents won a local award for their outstanding garden display.

Partis College, Bath, Somerset –  established a new vegetable garden in a neglected part of the grounds. They put in 10 raised beds to ensure it was accessible to all residents. A handyman provides some physical support but otherwise it has been the hard work of the residents that had yielded delicious, home grown vegetables.

The residents at Yardley Great Trust, Birmingham initiated a project to improve small areas of the scheme by planting flower beds. The project grew and more residents got involved, spending more time outdoors and enjoying BBQs together. The project has fostered a greater sense of community, as well as improving the residents’ physical and mental health.

St Joseph’s Homestead, Stratford-upon-Avon converted the resident’s private gardens into a communal garden, creating a community feeling and providing a relaxing place for residents to sit. Residents are able to tend to part of the garden and there has been a focus on wildlife with the introduction of a hedgehog highway, bird feeders and bee-friendly plants.

Guild Cottages at the Municipal Charities of Stratford-Upon-Avon has a communal garden but gives its residents the opportunity to tend to the areas close to their homes. For those residents whose gardening skills aren’t quite as developed, a professional gardener is available to give a helping hand.

Residents at The Day Foundation, Coddenham, Suffolk took part in a local open garden scheme to help raise money for the local church and The Stone Foundation. They ran a stall selling second hand gardening equipment, sunflower seedlings and plants. They also took part in the scarecrow competition! These activities brought residents together and new friendships were formed.

To view more Gardens and People Awards photos, please click here

House of Lords: Almshouses take centre stage

The Almshouse Association was very pleased to see almshouses widely discussed in The House of Lords today (22 Oct 20).

The discussion was led by a question from Lord Kennedy of Southwark with a number of substantive questions following on a series of topics including: the exclusion of almshouses from Section 106 levies and the reduction of VAT on repairs to charitable buildings, such as almshouses.

What we are most proud of is the cross party support for almshouses and the almshouse movement. Lords from across the House and from Government acknowledge the vital work our members undertake and the vital service they provide to their communities.

We would like to extend our thanks to the Lords who raised questions and who have been in contact with The Almshouse Association in recent weeks.

Click here to watch the full discussion

Posted 22nd October 20

Association meets with David Rutley MP

Today (14 Oct 20), The Almshouse Association held a productive meeting with David Rutley MP for Macclesfield.

Discussions with Mr Rutley, who is also a Government Whip, included an overview of the four almshouses in his constituency, Section 106 Agreements and Selective Licensing.

We were pleased to hear some very positive comments on almshouses and what they provide to their communities.  Discussions such as these are vital as we continue to raise issues which affect our members.

The Almshouse Association would like to thank Mr Rutley for his time and for his warm support of almshouses.

Posted 14 Oct 20

Association CEO in Labour Housing newletter

A letter from Nick Phillips CEO of The Almhouse Association has been featured in the Labour Housing Group September 20 newsletter.

Nick Phillips CEO writes:

Almshouses are part of history but also very much part of a future housing solution.

Although almshouses will never be the complete answer to the housing crisis, trustees are ready to build and they represent a great opportunity to expand, based on a model of independent living and resident well-being that is genuinely affordable.

Over the last 1,000 years, almshouses have offered truly affordable homes to those in need. If ever there was a time for more it’s now.

To read the article in full on Page 7 of the newsletter, please click here

Posted 8 October 2020

Local Rector talks about almshouses and the test of time on the C of E website

Mark Bennet, Team Rector at Thatcham in Berkshire talks about his preconceptions of almshouses before he found himself as one of the trustees of Loundye’s and John Hunt’s Almshouses.

He begins:

Before I became a trustee of the Thatcham Parochial Almshouse Charity, the most I had known about almshouses was from Trollope’s “The Warden” as seen on TV and a vague sense that almshouses were an antiquated form of do-goodery providing congenial accommodation for distressed gentlefolk and retired clergy. I was to discover that such a view of Almshouses is a profound mistake.

When I became Rector of my parish, I found myself one of nine trustees of Loundye’s and John Hunt’s Almshouses and the quaintly named “Nine Shilling House”. I read the history of the Almshouses – the charity had once owned a field on which grazed a cow, whose milk was provided free to the Almshouse residents. It seemed that my prejudices were being confirmed.

And then I met the residents of our fourteen flats ……

This is a truly wonderful account from Mark and no doubt sums up exactly what many of us thought about almshouses before we ‘got involved’.

His visions for the future mirror those of the almshouse movement – we know that the almshouse model can play a much greater role in meeting the need for sustainable affordable housing in our generation and beyond; and as more and more almshouses are being built, it certainly looks like the vision is becoming a reality.

A downloadable version of the article can be found here or visit the Church of England website here

Posted 7 October 2020

Almshouses officially recognised as unique housing model

The official definition of an almshouse has been recognised by the Charity Commission which has just released its new, approved guidance on almshouses.   

After months of hard work, this is a major milestone for The Almshouse Association – the membership charity representing over 1,600 independent almshouse charities – which has long persevered for credible recognition of almshouses as an affordable housing provider.

For the last 1,000 years, almshouses have existed as an affordable social housing model but there has been no clear definition of an almshouse by a government department. 

Today, as the Almshouse Association prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary of supporting the almshouse movement, this community-led housing model now has the seal of official approval.

Says Nick Phillips, CEO of The Almshouse Association,

We are growing at the fastest rate since the Victorian era, with a thousand new homes having been created in the last ten years and some 36,000 residents enjoying affordable living in 30,000 properties around the UK.  Another 700 are being built or are in the pipeline. 

We are delighted with this timely affirmation by the Charity Commission of our individual and long-established form of housing which is every bit as relevant today.”

Click here for official definition of an almshouse

Posted 6 Oct 20

Association article makes it into LGA Magazine

The Local Government Association’s first magazine has published an article written by the Almshouse Association promoting almshouses and their benefits to local authorities.

The article forms the basis of the Association’s engagement strategy with a number of different stakeholders across the housing sector, including local councils, who may wish to explore the option of supporting new and old almshouses in their area.

The full article can be found here

Posted 7 September 2020