The Almshouse Association is pleased to invite members to a new webinar on Permanent Endowments on Wednesday 30th March at 11am.
The webinar is free to all members and will be hosted by Gerry Morrisson, Partner & Head of Charity Team, Rollits LLP. Gerry heads Rollits’ Charities and Social Enterprise team and specialises exclusively in Charity Law. She advises charities in relation to compliance with the Charities Acts and all aspects of charity legislation, including creating and registering new charities, re-structuring and re-organising charities, charity incorporations and mergers. She regularly provides trustee training sessions and legal update seminars and is a regular contributor to the New Law Journal Charities and Appeals Supplement in relation to a wide variety of issues impacting upon charities.
The areas covered will include the below:
What constitutes a charities permanent endowment? What rules apply to registered and un-registered charities? How can a permanent endowment be spent? How the new Charities Act 2020 will affect permanent endowments? This webinar will run for 30 minutes and and there will be a Q&A session with Gerry at the end. Members will need to register in advance for the webinar by clicking in the link below. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Susan or Danielle at admin@almshouses.org or on 01344 452922.
Posted 14 March 22
On 6th February this year Her Majesty The Queen became the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth.
To celebrate this unprecedented anniversary, events and initiatives are taking place throughout the year, culminating in a four day bank holiday weekend from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June. The long bank holiday will provide a wonderful opportunity for communities and people throughout the UK to come together to celebrate the historic milestone with public events and community activities, as well as national moments of reflection on The Queen’s 70 years of service.
In addition, initiatives including The Queen’s Green Canopy will create a lasting reminder of The Queen’s Jubilee, while The Queen’s private estates will also join in with special Jubilee themed events offering more opportunities for members of the public to celebrate this historic moment in history.
Are you planning your own celebrations?
If so, The Royal Family website – www.royal.uk/platinum-jubilee-central-weekend is full of ideas on how to get involved. Like other almshouse charities, you may have already planted a tree as part of the Queens Green Canopy, or are busy organising your own almshouse party to take place on the weekend of the Big Jubilee lunch , like Dunk’s almshouses in Hawkhurst. The Trustees have decided to hold a lunch-time BBQ for the residents over the long bank holiday weekend. Clerk, Lisa Panting will be on hand with her camera to take lots of photos of the event to share with us and one of the resident’s daughters is already busy making bunting for the garden!
Whatever your plans, we would love to hear about them! Please send in your story and photos to karenmorris@almshouses.org
Trustees Keith Sugden, Simon Talbott and Michael Pooles of Great Shelford Parochial Charities planting an oak sapling on More’s Meadow
Barnstaple Almshouse Charity plant a tree at the opening ceremony of their new gardens at Penrose Almshouses
On 7th December 2021, battling high winds, the Lord Lieutenant of Rutland Sarah Furness, accompanied by the Chairman of St John and St Anne Almshouse Charity, David Patterson, planted a Winter Cherry in the grounds of St Anne’s Close
Click here to read all about the Barnstaple Almshouses tree planting
(event photos and logo images courtesy of www.royal.uk and queensgreencanopy.org)
Posted 7 March 21
The Almshouse Association regularly posts a news summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact/requires action from member charities, with links to further information where applicable.
Our latest update can be found below and previous updates are listed at the end of the page.
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Voluntary and Community Frontline Sector (VCFS) Support Grant – Members may be interested in applying for the VCFS Support Grant which looks to help tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.found here.
Energy and Environment
Government announces £288m Green Heat Network Fund – Public, private and third-sector applicants in England can bid for a share of the Green Heat Network Fund. Unlike gas boilers where heat is generated in individual homes, heat networks see heat generated at a single central source and then distributed to multiple buildings via pipes. found here .
CORONAVIRUS
The Almshouse Association continues to monitor developments with coronavirus and will provide further updates when necessary. As of Thursday February 24th , all remaining Covid-19 restrictions have largely been removed.
It is still recommended that you isolate at home if you test positive.
Government guidance can be found by clicking on the links below:
RECORD OF 2021/22 Policy and Governance updates:
Posted 7 March 21
The Almshouse Association regularly posts a news summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact/requires action from member charities, with links to further information where applicable.
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
Government announces £67 million to install insulation and clean heating – The Government has announced £67m as part of its Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) scheme which will be distributed to local authorities. This first instalment of the scheme will focus on improving 4,300 low-income, off-gas grid households who are reliant on bottled gas and oil to heat their homes.
Blackpool Council Bristol Council Ealing London Borough Oxfordshire County Council Portsmouth City Council Sedgemoor Council Tees Valley Combined Authority
Three Rivers District Council West of England Combined Authority York Council Castlepoint Central Bedfordshire Great Yarmouth Hartlepool Leicester City
Plymouth Council Redbridge London Borough Sevenoaks Council Sheffield City Council South Derbyshire Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council Warwick
If your charity operates in one of these local authorities, we suggest that you contact the council to discuss whether you may be able to receive support from the HUG scheme. Further information can be found here .
Government Support for Electric Vehicle Charging Points – The Almshouse Association has held discussions with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) regarding a scheme to support the installation of Electrical Vehicle (EV) charging points. Workplace Charging Scheme which contributes £350 per socket towards the installation of EV charging points for charities. Previously this could only be used for installing sockets for staff, but following our discussions, it would be acceptable to use this grant towards installation of sockets for residents. Guidance on the scheme can be found here .CORONAVIRUS
The Almshouse Association continues to monitor developments with Coronavirus and will provide further updates when necessary. As of Thursday February 24th , all remaining Covid restrictions have largely been removed. It is still recommended that you isolate at home if you test positive. Government guidance can be found by clicking on the links below:
RECORD OF 2021/22 Policy and Governance updates:
Posted 28 February 2022
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that the remaining Coronavirus restrictions will be removed from law starting on February 24th 2022.
Changes include:
Legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive covid-19 test will end. Self-isolation support payments will also end, although confirmed that SSP covid provisions could be claimed for a further month. Signalled the end of routine contact tracing and Government would no longer ask vaccinated close contacts and under 18s to test daily for 7 days. Legal requirement to self-isolate will end for close contacts not fully vaccinated. Until 1 April the Government will still advise people testing positive to stay at home, but following this date would encourage those with covid-19 symptoms to exercise personal responsibility. From 1 April, free symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public will end. However, free symptomatic tests would continue to be available for the most vulnerable and oldest age groups. From 1 April, Government will no longer recommend the use of voluntary covid status certification. Confirmation that all remaining 20 temporary provisions of the Coronavirus Act would expire. The Prime Minister also announced that the Government had accepted JCVI advice for a spring booster to those most vulnerable to covid to protect against potential resurgence.
These changes only apply to England.
Posted 22 Feb 22
The Almshouse Association regularly posts a news summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact / requires action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable.
Energy and Environment
Energy Crisis Support – The Government has outlined support which will be offered to help offset the steep rise in energy bills. This support comes after Ofgem announced that the cap on energy tariffs will rise by 54% to just under £2,000 a year on average. These steps include: All households will be receiving £200 off their energy bills through a government loan to energy companies. This will be applied to domestic electricity customers from October 2022 Properties in council tax bands A-D will receive a £150 refund in April 2022. Those who pay by direct debit will receive £150 into their bank accounts. Local authorities will also have access to £144m in discretionary funding to assist vulnerable people, individuals on low incomes or those in council tax bands E-H. Eligibility of the warm home discount scheme will be expanded with an additional £10 increase from October 2022 to £150. Those on certain means-tested benefits should qualify for the discount, but you should speak to your energy supplier about this It is worth remembering that the final cost of energy bills is still calculated on your usage and so it is important to consider where energy efficiency measures could be introduced to help prevent costly bills. Details on the Government’s announcement can be found here .
Coronavirus
The Almshouse Association continues to monitor developments and changes to legislation with regards to Coronavirus and will provide further updates when applicable.
The latest Government guidance can be found here:England Wales Scotland
RECORD OF 2021/22 Policy and Governance updates:
posted 7 February 22
The Almshouse Association regularly posts a news summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact / requires action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable.
Please find below our latest summary:
Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Government to review staff training and qualifications in social housing – As part of its drive to improve standards within social housing the government has announced a review of training and qualifications for staff working in the sector. The Social Housing White Paper Professionalisation Review will explore the qualifications currently available for staff, with landlords, residents and trade bodies putting forward recommendations to the government. It will also consider if additional training is required to improve the service to residents.
Members who are registered providers of social housing may wish to make a submission to the working group of the review on the potential impact this could have on their work.
More information can be found here . Those wishing to respond can make a submission to Professionalisation.Review@communities.gov.uk .
Miscellaneous
Royal Horticultural Society offers grant for community gardens
To celebrate RHS Garden Day 2022, they will be gifting a new garden to one community in each of the UK’s four home nations. Working in partnership with leading garden designers, each garden will be worth up to £50,000, and an opportunity for your group to help us create an inclusive and welcoming green space for everyone within your community to access and enjoy.
Members wishing to apply must do so by February 6th 2022. Details can be found here .
Wales
Move to Alert Level 0 – As of January 28th , Wales has moved back to alert level 0 which means:
Nightclubs have re-opened Businesses, employers and other organisations must continue to undertake a specific coronavirus risk assessment and take reasonable measures to minimise the spread of coronavirus The general requirement of 2m social distancing in all premises open to the public and workplaces has been removed The rule of 6 no longer applies to gatherings in regulated premises, such as hospitality, cinemas and theatres Licensed premises no longer need to only provide table service and collect contact details Working from home will remain part of advice from the Welsh Government but it will no longer be a legal requirement The Covid Pass will continue to be required to enter larger indoor events, nightclubs, cinemas, theatres and concert halls.
RECORD OF 2021/22 Policy and Governance updates:
posted 31 Jan 22
The Almshouse Association has commissioned The Smith Institute to carry out a research project looking into how almshouse charities functioned during the coronavirus pandemic.
Some members may have or may soon receive invitations to participate in interviews as part of this project. Should you receive a request from The Smith Institute, please rest assure that this is a legitimate request as part of this important piece of research.
If you have any queries regarding our research, please get in touch with Jack Baldan via jackbaldan@almshouses.org .
Posted 13 Jan 21
The Prime Minister has announced the withdrawal of Plan B Coronavirus restrictions in England over the next week.
This means:
Working from home: The Government is no longer asking people to work from home, unless they are self-isolating. From 27 January 22: There is no longer a legal requirement to wear a face covering. From 27 January 22: Venues and events will no longer be required by law to check visitors’ NHS COVID Pass. Government guidance for Wales and Scotland can be found by clicking in the links below:
Posted 20 Jan 2022
The Government has announced that from Monday 17th January 2022, anyone with coronavirus can end their isolation after 5 full days as long as they test negative on days 5 and 6.
Under the new rules, those who test positive can leave isolation after two consecutive negative lateral flow tests taken 24 hours apart. Should you not receive a negative test of day 5 and 6 you can continue to test until you get two consecutive negative tests or until you have isolated for 10 days, whichever occurs first. For example, if you test negative on days 6 and 7 you can leave isolation. More information can be found here .
Posted 17 January 22