It gives the Almshouse Association great pleasure to invite our members to our inaugural Members Day Conference.

The event will take place at Haberdashers’ Hall in London on Wednesday 5th June 2019 and we hope that as many of our members as possible will be able to join us to make our first Members Day Conference a very special and successful event.

The conference offers a wonderful opportunity to meet almshouse trustees, clerks and wardens from all of the UK, attend tailored training seminars and consult our panel of experts. We have planned a full day which includes:

• Key Note Speakers
• Seminar sessions on current topics
• Guest speakers
• Q & A with our panel of experts
• Exhibitor stands
• Announcement of the Almshouse Association 2018 Awards
• Lunch, teas and coffees included.

Tickets cost £50 per person and we recommend booking early as places are limited.

For more details click here

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The news item below has been written and supplied by the Almshouse Consortium Limited (ACL). 
Further information is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/community-housing-fund 

The Community Housing Fund (CHF) is designed to provide seed corn funding for the initial investigations and works relating to the provision of affordable housing, where other resources are limited.

To be eligible:

The scheme must:

• increase housing supply in England by increasing the number of additional homes delivered by the community-led housing sector;
• provide housing that is affordable at local income levels and remains so in perpetuity; and
• deliver a lasting legacy for the community-led housing sector in the form of an effective financially self-sustaining body of expertise within the house building industry in England.

The organisation applying must be:

• a registered charity;
• a Company Limited By Guarantee;
• a Community Benefit Society
• a Co-operative Society;
• a Community Interest Company;
• an organisation of another type operating as a social enterprise and principally reinvesting their surpluses for social benefit;
• a Registered Provider; or
• a local authority.

Eligible costs include:

• the costs of forming a corporate body
• feasibility studies
• surveys
• architects fees
• legal fees
• training and capacity-building

The fund is not available to cover the costs of construction or the purchase of land which is grant fundable from other funding routes.

Schemes may include a number of community facilities, but it is only the housing element which will attract the funding.

Applications are made online, but not through Homes England’s Information Management System, but using an online form.  Almshouse Consortium Limited already has access to this system and can advise on the suitability of schemes and assist with submission.

Applicants are expected to make meaningful consultations with the local community and be able to fund 10% of the costs themselves.  100% funding is not available, but the Almshouse Association may, in certain circumstances, make a grant towards the 10% required.

Other information required includes a copy of the latest accounts, location of the site and the proposed number of dwellings and the action taken towards obtaining planning permission.

The bid for grant funding will be assessed on 5 criteria:

1. Value for money.  This is to ensure that as many schemes are helped as possible.  If an almshouse can afford some, but not all of the initial costs, then applications at below the 90% level will have a higher chance of success.
2. Deliverability.  Projects which have progressed furthest towards the development phase are likely to be able to make the strongest case for funding on deliverability grounds.  Almshouses should be abed to achieve a layout pan, indicative costs and pre-application comments from the planning authority before they start to incur costs.   The stopping point often comes when the Architect is asked to prepare plans at sufficient detail to submit a planning application, the application fee itself and the various reports which are required to support an application.
3. Strategic fitness.  The purpose of the CHF is to support genuinely led community projects.  It will therefore assist the application if the scheme is addressed to a wider audience than simply the existing Trustees.  Homes England expects the close collaboration of the community to lead to community-led housing delivering important additional benefits in respect of the quality of design, innovative construction technologies, tenures and approaches to financing. Proposals that are innovative in these regards may be more likely to receive a favourable assessment than those that are not.
4. Knowing your Customer requirements.  There will be checks on the viability of the organisation and certain personal checks will be made to ensure the grant is not being used for money laundering or fraud.
5. Equalities, diversity and health inequalities.  It is expected that housing funded under this fund will meet the diverse housing needs of all sections of our communities, whether defined by geography, need or interest.   Applicants will be asked to confirm as part of their application that their proposals will meet key equalities priorities that are identified and agreed by local authorities.

Other State Aid towards the same costs is not permitted and this grant will have to be declared if a subsequent application for capital funding is made.

Enquiries can be sent to ACL's Administrator:
Sue Holden email: acltabitha@gmail.com
For more detailed advice, ACL's Programme Managers can be contacted via email:
Kathy Green: kathy.green.projects@gmail.com 
Sean Stafford:  sean@saffercooper.com 

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Housing LIN has published their first case study of 2019, and their 150th case study overall. Their subject matter is a 21st Century eco-almshouse: St Johns Almshouses, Lichfield.

The Housing LIN case study shines the spotlight on the award-winning St. John’s Almshouses, a new Passivhaus certified residential scheme for older people in Lichfield, completed in August 2017.

The client, St. John’s Hospital, are a charitable trust and historic almshouses organisation which has had a presence on the site since 1129. The existing Grade I listed buildings date from 1495 and the new 21st century development comprises 18 new flats contained within two separate buildings, which are arranged around a new landscaped courtyard.

The design won this year’s Architect’s Journal Housing Project of the Year (up to £10 million). To read more, please click here.

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Key Decisions made at the most recent Almshouse Association Board Meeting are posted on ‘Latest News’ on our website for all registered member charities to access.

At the Board Meeting held on 15 November 2018 at The National Council for Voluntary Organisations London N1, the following Key Decisions were made:

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• Organisational strategy reviewed  – discussed at length and some changes made  – to be re-presented for approval at the March 19 Board Meeting
• Proposal to appoint Willie Hartley-Russell to the F&GP sub-committee approved
• Agreed that future F&GP meetings will be held in London
• Noted that 2019 member subscription fees had been increased by 2% across the board
• Following consideration by the Sub Committee and the Board, Quentin Elston, Jim Kennedy, Andrew Barnes and David Healey were individually proposed and unanimously elected to the board.

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A record of all Key Decisions made at Board Meetings (from June 18 onwards) can be found in ‘Current Issues’.

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The deadline for entries to the 2018 Almshouse Association Awards is 14th January 2019.

To honour the vital role almshouse charities play in today’s social structure, The Almshouse Association introduced 2 new awards to complement the Patron’s award and to make our awards more inclusive to all members.

Our  three categories of awards distinguish and recognise the many wonderful innovations taking place throughout our membership to benefit their almshouse residents.

  The Patron’s Award – instituted by HRH The Prince of Wales and introduced in 2000 to encourage and celebrate excellence in architectural and living standards and to recognise outstanding projects and developments.
  The Gardens and People Award – New for 2018 – For charities that can show how they have enhanced the lives of their residents by providing gardening and/or outdoor activities.

  The Innovations for Living Award – New for 2018 – For charities who can demonstrate unique innovations within a project that have added significant value to a resident’s life.

The awards are open to all member charities that have completed projects in 2018 and there is still time to submit your entries. If you are in any doubt about your idea, please do not hesitate to call us on 01344 452922

Full details including criteria, guidance and submission formats can found by clicking here.

Closing date for submissions is 14th January 2019 – now closed

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Back in October 2018, the Association asked our members to complete a questionnaire that would evaluate our current position and influence our direction and the type of services the Associate will provide moving forward, and in doing so, help us develop our strategy for the next 5 years.

The response rate was excellent and your input invaluable. With your help, we have now set out our goals and the milestones we need to reach so that we can achieve our mission:

‘The Almshouse Model is recognised as an exemplar for Community Housing’

We have consolidated the results of the 2018 Members Survey into a report which can be downloaded here.

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Are you aware of the Warm Home Discount Scheme ?

Qualifying residents could get £140 off their electricity bill between September 18 and March 19 in the form of a one off discount.

If their supplier provides them with both gas and electricity, some suppliers will allow the resident to use their discount on the gas instead. The scheme does not effect either the Cold Weather Payment or the Winter Fuel payment.

Not all energy suppliers are participating but it seems that the major ones are. You can check this out by clicking here www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme/energy-suppliers .

Eligibility:
There are 2 ways to qualify for the Warm Home Discount Scheme:

• The resident gets the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit. If a resident is eligible they should have received a letter by the 7th December 2018 informing them of how to receive the discount. www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme/guarantee-pension-credit
• If a resident is on a low income, they get certain means-tested benefits and their energy supplier is part of the scheme they may be entitled the discount. The resident would need to contact their supplier direct and to be aware that there is only a limited amount of discounts available. www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme/low-income

Further Information:
www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme

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NB: The current scheme does not allow for residents who are not billed directly (i.e. they are re-charged by the charity due to a shared utility system) to apply for the discount. The Almshouse Association is making enquiries with the appropriate authority to see whether this can be reviewed.

 

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The Almshouse Association was delighted when our Royal Vice Patron, HRH The Duke of Gloucester accepted our invitation to visit the Hammersmith United Charities almshouses in celebration of their 400 year anniversary and to present the Patron’s Awards for 2016 and 2017.

The event took place on Monday 10th December at Sycamore House in London. HRH arrived at 2pm and was greeted by Kevin McGrath Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Mike Smith Chair of Trustees Hammersmith United, Elizabeth Fathi Chair of Trustees, The Almshouse Association and Nick Phillips the Association’s CEO.

HRH was invited to sign the visitor’s book and the Chair presented Victoria Hill CEO and HUC trustees.

HRH then met David Simpson, the architect and was shown the wonderful display that traced the history of the charity right back to 1618 when Dr Thomas Edwards made a gift of £20 for the immediate benefit of the poor of Fulham and left £100 to buy land for their longer term benefit. Visit  https://hamunitedcharities.org.uk/400th-anniversary/ to find out more.

Following this, HRH visited two residents’ homes and walked through the award winning gardens to the residents’ lounge.

HRH was full of admiration and commented on the importance of having a garden, whatever the size.

Our Chair Elizabeth Fathi then presented the Patron’s Award recipients for 2016 and 2017 to the Duke and he joined residents for a delicious afternoon tea.

HRH The Duke of Gloucester was then invited to present Patron’s Awards scrolls and plaques to:

Peter Brown and Andrew Clague (architect) – The Sir Roger Manwood Trust project

Rev Canon Tim Harper – Amersham United Charities

Richard Auger  – Shrewsbury Drapers’ Company

David Corney  – The Davenport Homes

 

At the end of his visit,  the Chair of Hammersmith United thanked HRH and it was a very proud moment when he accepted the invitation to unveil a plaque to commemorate the day.

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Thanks to the generosity of a late donor, this Christmas The Almshouse Association is very pleased to be sending out  gifts to 456 almshouse residents who are 90 years old or over.

Every year, at the request of The Almshouse Association, almshouse charities submit the names of residents who are/will be 90 years old or over at Christmas.  The Trust Deed states that the gifts should be used to help ‘poor residents’ and since the funds are limited, we ask that member charities that can afford to buy a gift for their own residents forego the gift in order that the Association may provide gifts to those charities unable to do so.  Gift cards are allocated on a first come, first served basis and this year our closing date for applications was set at 9th November 2018.

The Almshouse Association will advise members of the dates for applications for Christmas 2019 next October.

 

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The Almshouse Association was delighted to put forward one of our member charities in Ely to be included in a Royal “Awayday”.  

On 27th November 2018, the Association was very proud when HRH The Prince of Wales in his capacity as Patron of the Association, visited Thomas Parsons’ Charity.  Upon arrival His Royal Highness was greeted by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant who presented Nick Phillips, CEO of The Almshouse Association and David Brand, Chair of the Trustees of Thomas Parsons’ Charity.

HRH was then invited to visit a resident in her almshouse.  Jennifer Millard, Receiver for the Thomas Parson’s Charity greeted His Royal Highness and presented June Hewes, who has lived in one of the almshouses for 10 years. Once inside, he admired her living room and had a tour of the kitchen and bathroom.  “This is not a bad little place is it and they are all nice neighbours too, I hope,” he said.

Speaking after the visit, June said: “That was wonderful but very nerve-wracking in advance as I’ve had to do a lot of cleaning in preparation. It’s not every day you get a royal guest.”

Prince Charles was then invited to join some of the Thomas Parson’s Charity residents in the Poet’s House and shared a cup of tea with each table in the dining room while chatting to residents, staff and trustees.

“You must have all been waiting very patiently and I would like to wish you a very merry early Christmas,” he said.

Vera Ford, 91, who has lived in an almshouse for five years, said: “He was so nice and asked me about Christmas and my holiday plans and I would be quite happy for him to be king one day.”

John Moore, who works for the Thomas Parsons’ Charity, said: “What a friendly and nice man, he was very interested in speaking to everyone about their houses and he was extremely down to earth.”

At the end of the visit, David Brand thanked His Royal Highness for taking the time to visit the charity and presented him with a bound copy of the history of the charity. His Royal Highness then unveiled a plaque to commemorate his visit.

It was an incredibly busy day for The Prince of Wales as he also met with many Cambridgeshire dignitaries, visited the stained glass museum and undertook a walkabout of Ely farmers’ market, all the while chatting with and shaking the hands of the many well-wishers along the way.

The Almshouse Association is very honoured that His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales is Patron of the Association. It is our hope that he will be able to continue to visit as many of our member charities as possible in the future.

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