Celebrating the success of the inaugural Panel of Consultants Networking Morning

On Thursday 6th November, The Almshouse Association hosted its first Panel of Consultants Networking Event at The Charity of Elizabeth Jane Jones in Bedfont. The event brought together professionals from a wide range of disciplines, including architects and lawyers, for an inspiring and informative session.

Nick Phillips, CEO of The Almshouse Association, provided a full update on the movement and guest speaker Simon Smith, one of the Association’s Ambassadors, delivered a compelling presentation on the history of almshouses. Steve Melvin from Atelier Architects shared insights into the development of Ossulton Court in Uxbridge, and Tim Kenny, Trustee of The Poland Trust, discussed the creation of Poland Meadows in Brockham, Surrey, both sites having received prestigious Almshouse Association Awards.

We extend our sincere thanks to our distinguished guest speakers, whose expertise, generosity, and willingness to share their experiences made the event truly impactful. Their presentations offered valuable insights and practical takeaways for all attendees.

The Almshouse Association looks forward to hosting further Panel of Consultants Networking mornings in 2026.  If you are a Panel Member and wish to express your interest in attending, please contact: Susanbrooks@almshouses.org

posted 26 November 2025

NOVEMBER 2025: A summary of the latest UK Government policy changes and news.

1. Awaab’s Law Guidance

Awaab’s Law was introduced on 27 October 2025 through an amendment to the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, in response to the tragic death of Awaab Ishak who died after being exposed to mould at his Rochdale home in December 2020.

In the wake of this tragedy, Awaab’s family has fought to secure justice, not only for their son but for all those who live in social housing. Awaab’s Law places strict time limits on social landlords who are regulated by the Social Housing Regulator to investigate and repair reported issues of damp and mould.

At the present time (October 2025), Awaab’s Law applies to Registered Providers in England only. The Almshouse Association supports the principle in all cases of providing warm, safe homes for our residents; however, following extensive engagement with government officials, we can confirm that almshouse charities that are Registered Providers in England (along with almshouse charities that are not Registered Providers) are exempt from the requirements of Awaab’s Law. This exemption recognises the distinct legal and operational status of almshouses, where residents occupy their homes under licence rather than tenancy agreements – and can be seen in the guidance produced by the Government below:

The Almshouse Association is reviewing and, where applicable, updating its policies for all member charities on damp, mould and other housing hazards to ensure residents continue to live in safe, well-maintained homes. These policies will reflect the charitable nature, size and governance of almshouse charities, while maintaining high standards of accommodation and care.

2. Company law

If member charities are registered with Companies House, members will soon need to verify identities on their platform. Identity verification for directors and people with significant control (PSCs) will be mandatory from 18 November 2025 and will be phased in over 12 months.

Recently, Companies House published a new blog on identity verification for directors and people with significant control (PSCs), which should help you understand how this will work. The blog explains the different ways relevant members can verify their identities.

The Companies House register will be updated on 18 November 2025 to show the due dates for each role a member might hold. Companies House is encouraging all directors and PSCs to verify their identity as soon as possible.

3. Charity Governance Code

An updated version of the Charity Governance Code was published on 31 October.

The Code sets out eight universal principles of governance for charities to consider and helps to shape a common view of what good looks like.

Each of the principles describes what to expect to see (with 41 outcomes in total) to show how the charity’s governance is working well.

Within the updated version of the code, members will find behaviours, policies, processes and practises and evidence of good governance for each of the principles.

• The updated code is available here.

4. Charity Finance

The Charity Commission has made a few minor updates to its Trustee Finance Toolkit, changing some of the links to pieces of guidance.

• The Charity Commission has also made several changes to how financial reporting takes place which can be found in this press release: a shift to more proportionate accounting regime for UK charities.

• They have also updated the charity SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice). This includes new tiers and requirements for how charities should report dependant on size. These include:
  • New requirements for how charities should report on certain types of income and lease arrangements. The SORP now includes charity sector specific examples to assist charities in applying new requirements introduced by the Financial Reporting Council’s update to Financial Reporting Standard 102.
  • Three new tiers for greater transparency. Tier 1 – for charities with income up to £500,000, Tier 2 – for  charities with income between £500,000 – £15 million and Tier 3 – for charities with income above £15 million.
  • Refreshed Trustees Annual Report requirements, with further guidance on financial reserves and plans about the future.
  • Updates to how charities should account for social investments.
  • Easier to understand requirements for reporting provisions and contingencies.

The changes will take effect for accounting periods starting on or after 1 January 2026.

• The Charity SORP 2026 can be viewed on the SORP microsite,
• and guidance on the changes can be found here.

posted 5 November 2025

Head over to our Online Training page to explore 12 new online training opportunities that are now live on our training platform!

🌿 Featured Course: Dementia Awareness
Gain a deeper understanding of dementia — including its signs, symptoms and types — plus insights into the impact on individuals and communities, the role of carers and employers, and practical guidance on living well with the condition.

💡 Also available – 11 new skills guides:

• Active Listening • Budgeting • Communication • Decision Making • Delivering Bad News • Effective Meetings • Leadership • Organisation • Project Management • Sexual Harassment Awareness • Writing Effective Emails

All courses are free for members and included in your TAA membership — and all our existing online courses remain available to you too!

• An Introduction to Almshouses • Cyber Security Awareness • Social Media Awareness • GDPR UK essentials • Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults • Legionella; • Health and Safety • Fire Awareness • Risk Assessment • Mental Health Awareness

➡️ Click here to access!

posted 17 November 2025

Please nominate your volunteers!

The Heritage Alliance is entering the final stretch for nominations to their prestigious Heritage Heroes Awards, proudly sponsored by Ecclesiastical.

With just two weeks left until nominations close on 30 November, now is the perfect moment to put forward the outstanding volunteers who power your work. If you haven’t submitted a nomination yet, we strongly encourage you to shine a spotlight on those who truly deserve recognition.

For more than a decade, the Heritage Heroes Awards have honoured the exceptional contributions of volunteers across the UK’s heritage sector, celebrating individuals and groups who go above and beyond to safeguard and champion our shared heritage.

This year, the Awards are recognising excellence in two categories:

• Heritage Heroes 2025 Award – Celebrating exceptional contributions by an individual or group of volunteers.
• Young Heritage Hero Award – Highlighting volunteers under 30 who have made an extraordinary impact.

Key information

• Nominations close: 30 November 2025
• Submit a nomination: bit.ly/HeritageHeroes2025
• Winners announced: Heritage Day 2026.
• pdf of all the important information

Take this opportunity to put forward the volunteers who’ve shown exceptional dedication and gone the extra mile throughout the year!

posted 17 November 2025

The Almshouse Association is delighted to announce that Christmas Fund gift vouchers will once again be available this year for almshouse residents* who are 90 years of age or older on 25th December 2025.

*almshouse residents of almshouse charities that are members of The Almshouse Association

The Christmas Fund was established over 70 years ago thanks to the generosity of Major Allnatt, a successful businessman and philanthropist. Working closely with Leonard Hackett, the Association’s founding General Secretary, Major Allnatt wished to provide a small gift to almshouse residents each Christmas Eve. Remarkably, he chose to remain anonymous until his death in 1969.

Today, the Almshouse Association continues to honour his legacy. The funds he left have been carefully invested so that every year, almshouse charities can receive gift vouchers to distribute to their residents at Christmas.

An order form to request the Christmas vouchers can be found in the Autumn/Winter edition of the Almshouses Gazette, which is being sent to all member charities next week.

You can also download the form here to complete and return.

Please submit your completed form to the Almshouse Association via email or post by 21st November 2025 – THE WINDOW FOR SUBMITTING FORMS IS NOW CLOSED

Gift vouchers are issued on a first-come, first-served basis and will be sent to the member contact listed on your form, so they can be handed to residents on Christmas Eve. (Please note: The Almshouse Association will not send vouchers directly to residents.)

We love seeing photos of these heartwarming moments, as almshouse communities come together to celebrate the festive season so please keep sending them in.

posted 30 October 2025

Awaab’s Law was introduced on 27 October 2025 through an amendment to the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, in response to the tragic death of Awaab Ishak who died after being exposed to mould at his Rochdale home in December 2020.

In the wake of this tragedy, Awaab’s family has fought to secure justice, not only for their son but for all those who live in social housing.

Awaab’s Law places strict time limits on social landlords who are regulated by the Social Housing Regulator to investigate and repair reported issues of damp and mould.

At the present time (October 2025), Awaab’s Law applies to Registered Providers in England only.

The Almshouse Association is pleased to confirm, however, that following extensive engagement with government officials, almshouse charities that are Registered Providers in England are exempt from the requirements of Awaab’s Law. This exemption recognises the distinct legal and operational status of almshouses, where residents occupy their homes under licence rather than tenancy agreements – and can be seen in the guidance produced by the Government below:

The Almshouse Association will now review and update its policies for all member charities on damp, mould and other housing hazards to ensure residents continue to live in safe, well-maintained homes. These policies will reflect the charitable nature, size and governance of almshouse charities, while maintaining high standards of accommodation and care.

posted 28 October 2025