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

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