CASE STUDY: Jesus Hospital, Canterbury, Kent installs fire prevention and control measures

Following a fire inspection carried out in November 2024, Jesus Hospital Charity sought a loan from The Almshouse Association to support the remedial actions required. The Charity received a £35,000 loan to support the installation of 14 fire doors, under stair fireproofing and the replacement of plastic electrical trip switch boxes with metal boxes and RCD protectors where these were placed on communal landings.

How our fundraising helps almshouse charities
If a charity does not have sufficient funds to carry out necessary works to their almshouses, part of the service The Almshouse Association offers its member charities is financial help in the form of grants and loans.

The warden of the Charity, David Roper, has kindly documented their project to support others undertaking similar work and to demonstrate how funds raised by The Almshouse Association are helping almshouse charities update their properties, ensuring both their longevity and the comfort and safety of their residents.

Background

Sir John Boys

Jesus Hospital Almshouse in Canterbury was founded in 1595 by Sir John Boyes to provide housing for ‘eight poor men and four poor women’. It was initially intended as a place for those referred to as “brothers” and “sisters”. The foundation also included a school for boys. 

Today, Jesus Hospital continues to offer accommodation to people in housing need and consists of two residential buildings (one of which is Grade II listed) and the Warden’s Lodge. The site includes 13 flats, some of which were formed by combining two smaller units to accommodate couples.

A challenging period

In the latter half of 2024, Jesus Hospital faced a challenging period when it was subjected to two significant inspections in quick succession: an insurance review and a fire safety inspection.

  • Insurance Review

    The insurance company required minor adjustments on-site but focused primarily on ensuring that an asbestos survey and an electrical inspection were completed.

    Initial contact with a preferred contractor listed on the insurer’s website produced a quote exceeding £4,000 for the asbestos survey, without even visiting the site. A local firm was eventually appointed, carrying out the survey and testing various samples for just over a tenth of the original cost. The insurer accepted this result without issue.

    The electrical inspection identified several areas requiring attention. However, before this work could be fully addressed, a fire safety inspection conducted in November 2024 expanded the scope considerably.
  • Fire Safety Inspection

    The Fire Officer highlighted two compliance issues:

    1. The need to install FD30-rated fire doors on all internal flat exits.
    2. Fireproof lining required for two wooden under-stairs cupboards in the listed building.

    In addition, existing plastic electrical consumer units located on communal landings had to be replaced with metal enclosures with RCD protection. This additional electrical work was a manageable extension of the prior recommendations.

Fire door installation

Sourcing fire doors proved more difficult. Of the three companies approached:

  • One submitted a limited quote covering only door supply.
  • Another specialised solely in external doors.
  • TEK Interiors Ltd was ultimately selected. Their team provided two site visits—first for quotation, then detailed measurements—and remained responsive and professional throughout.

An additional complication arose with double flats that still had two front doors. In one case, the second door was replaced with fire-rated plasterboard to reduce cost. Ultimately, 14 doors required replacement.

Each door took roughly 7 hours to fit due to the need for resizing, as no frames were uniform and all had to accommodate the thicker doors. Some door frames also required fanlight replacements. Residents opted for solid panels rather than fire-resistant glass. Each door was fitted with two locks: a latch and a thumb-turn mechanism, enabling emergency exit without a key. However, this led to at least one resident being locked out after stepping out without her key.

Benefits and resident feedback

The new doors provide enhanced draught-proofing and have allowed the Warden access to all units—an improvement over the previous situation, where they did not hold keys to residents’ doors.

After installation began, residents found it difficult to open the doors due to the strength of the automatic closers. As a result, door handles were retrofitted to improve usability, particularly for elderly occupants.

Listed Building challenges

Delays occurred due to the historic planning department’s strict requirements for maintaining the building’s appearance. While they approved the addition of decorative beading on the new flat doors, the under-stairs cupboards required MDF panels routed to mimic original woodwork. These heritage-specific modifications added nearly £2,000 to the total cost.

Funding and completion

Recognising the financial strain on the charity, the Fire Officer was flexible, offering a phased approach. However, it was clear that:

  • Spreading the work over time would ultimately increase overall costs, and
  • Prioritising certain flats over others would raise ethical and safety concerns.

Trustees agreed and applied for a loan through The Almshouse Association, without which the project would not have been feasible.

Outcome

The total cost of the project came to £39,700, the majority of which was funded by the loan. The trustees and management are grateful for this support, which enabled essential improvements to the safety and liveability of Jesus Hospital Almshouse.

See also: New home for new resident at Jesus Hospital almshouses, Canterbury | The Almshouse Association

The Almshouse Association would also like to thank all the people and organisations who so kindly donate to The Almshouse Association and leave gifts in their Wills. Without their generosity, we would not be in a position to help support almshouse charities with their renovations and new builds.

The Almshouse Association awards loans and grants to our member charities every year. In 2024, £813,667 was approved in new loans and grants totalled £60,000. Charities pay no interest on the loans, just a small administration fee. As they make repayments on the loans over a ten-year period, the Association can continue to offer loans to charities year after year, meaning that your donations continue to support almshouses and their residents in perpetuity.

If you are interested in making a donation to The Almshouse Association or leaving a gift in your Will, please do visit our Support Us pages here.

posted 2 July 2025