The Almshouse Association held a special event at the Tate Modern gallery in London on May 12th 2022 to further raise the profile of the almshouse movement.
A senior and influential group of individuals from the worlds of politics, housing, and business met at the Tate Modern. The aim of the event was to discuss the history of the almshouses and the contribution they make to society today as well as looking to the future provision of this valuable housing model. We heard a talk on the history of almshouses and their unique status from BBC historian, Dan Cruickshank. Further speakers included Almshouse Association Chief Executive and Chair, Nick Phillips and Liz Fathi, respectively. We also heard from United St. Saviour’s Chief Executive, Martyn Craddock on the work of the charity and future development plans. There was a very special contribution from almshouse resident, Nigel, who stole the show with his impactful story of how his home had helped him stay sober and rebuild his life.
Guests were also treated to tour of Hopton’s Almshouses; with the gardens in full splendour and the backdrop of high-rise buildings, these small and perfectly formed homes never cease to captivate the audience!
We were pleased to see a full house in attendance, showing the genuine intrigue and desire to learn more about the enduring form of community housing. This forms part of the Association’s key objective to protect and promote almshouses so that they may be better understood by those outside of the movement. In turn we hope this will lead to the creation of new almshouse charities and greater support for those already established.
Our members will be aware that as a movement we face a number of challenges in the years ahead including net zero obligations and trustee recruitment. Events such as these will help spread the almshouse message beyond our comfort zone and bring new ideas and experiences into the movement. This will ensure that the almshouse model can endure and flourish for another 1,000 years to come!