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.
In 2024, The Almshouse Association provided Margaret Hyde Charity with a £40,000 loan to address heating issues and general refurbishment requirements. The Charity has kindly shared a case study of their project below:
History
The Willoughby family inherited nearby Bore Place, and it was sold to Mr Bernard Hyde in 1626. He was a Commissioner of Customs for Charles I. In 1698, a member of Bernard’s family, Margaret Hyde, bought a property in Coopers Corner in the north part of the parish, and left instructions in her will that the rent and profits from the premises should be distributed to the “poor” of Chiddingstone.
In 1974, the property was sold, and the money was used to purchase three cottages in Wellers Town. They were intended to provide accommodation for poor people who lived in Chiddingstone and had a strong local connection to the area.
Early on, it was determined to convert one of the cottages into two flats, and that is how they remain today – 2 x1 ½ bedroom cottages and 2 x 1 bedroom flats.
Our early challenges
A new trustee board for the Charity was appointed in June 2023. The previous trustee board had sought the support of another local almshouse charity a year or two earlier as they wished to retire. Unfortunately, this was not completed in line with the Trust Deed.
The Parish Council appointed two councillors as new trustees in accordance with the Trust Deed, who then appointed two of the previous trustees to the board. A clerk was also appointed. The new Board then commenced a period of handover with the previous Clerk. The new Chair sought the support of The Almshouse Association to ensure that appropriate governance was put in place and used the various Almshouse Association templates to produce a full set of policies.
The four almshouses (two cottages and two flats) managed by the Charity were occupied by residents who had been present for many years. There had not been any formal reviews of residents’ circumstances for seven years and there had been just minor repairs and renovations undertaken within the properties. Whilst the residents had been enjoying very low and static Weekly Maintenance Contributions for that period, they had not complained strongly about the condition of their properties. However, as a trustee board we were very concerned about their housing conditions.
Three of the four properties had quite serious damp issues and the two cottages had ancient and ineffective heating systems. There had been some attempts to make repairs to the properties without really identifying and rectifying the source of the problems.
Seeking solutions
In September 2024, we obtained advice from local and reputable heating engineers as to which form of heating would be most efficient and effective in these thin, single skinned properties. Whilst we did seek advice around the potential for heat pumps, we did determine that this was not the best solution for these properties and instead chose to install a communal oil tank, oil fired boilers to the two cottages, and the laying of the pipework required to potentially install oil fired boilers in the two flats, if we determined to do so at a later date. However, the flats are adequately and efficiently heated via electric heaters at present.
When a terminally ill resident sadly passed away in October 2024, we decided to take the opportunity to fully renovate his and the other cottage that were badly in need of new heating systems, taking them on one at a time, and to also undertake more minor renovations to the other two flats.
Photos taken before and during works
The value of The Almshouse Association
It was at this time, early November 2024 that we sought advice from The Almshouse Association regarding financing the works. Fenella Hall was most helpful in this respect, providing us with the details of the interest free loan scheme that The Almshouse Association operated, and we got to work to get our application in for the end of November 2024. We determined that we would need a loan of £40,000 to help us cover the full costs of the exercise having obtained quotes for all works including refurbishment of both cottages, replacement white goods/carpets etc. The remainder of the project costs c. £35,000, we could cover from our own reserves.
We were delighted to receive confirmation that our loan had been granted in mid-December 2024 and our Clerk proceeded to engage the various suppliers to commit to dates for the works to commence and to draw up a project plan.
Had we not had the fortune to secure the loan from The Almshouse Association, we would have only been able to install new heating in one cottage – that previously provided to the deceased resident – and refurbish it. Once we had confirmation of the loan being granted, we were able to work with the residents of the other cottage to plan their temporary move to the newly refurbished cottage once complete, such that we could refurbish and provide new heating to both in succession.
Obviously, our work plan also needed to identify the sources of damp that we could not put down to inefficient heating. As a consequence, work was undertaken on repairing roofing, re-pointing chimneys and clearing gutters and downpipes. All work was undertaken between January and April 2025, with the first cottage being completed by early February 2025. Given how quickly work was completed, we decided to drawdown the whole loan at once.
The project’s impact
As we got closer to completion of the project, we decided we could start advertising the cottage vacancy in order to identify a new beneficiary for our updated, fully refurbished and redecorated cottage! Word of the renovations had certainly got around the local area and we were excited to receive more than a dozen applications. However, working through them to get to a shortlist was emotionally exhausting. So many people with a need and some quite heartbreaking stories.
However, we did shortlist twice and the final three applicants – a young couple with a baby due; a young lady seeking her first home; and an older gentleman who had fallen on particularly hard times over COVID, and who was currently living in a very small annex. All were invited to come and take a look at the vacant cottage and we were delighted with their responses. However, that made it harder still to make an offer to just one.
We interviewed all of the shortlisted applicants and as a board, made the decision. The gentleman cried tears of relief and was delighted to be offered the opportunity to become the licensee. We were delighted when the young couple were offered a local new affordable home just a few months later and the young lady took over the gentleman’s vacated annex. All in all, this project, enabled by The Almshouse Association loan has enabled four people and one young baby to find somewhere that they can call home.
The residents are delighted with their newly improved homes and we know that they will stay warm and dry as we approach what we are led to believe may be a harsh winter 2025/2026.
“ The renovation works have made a great improvement to my home. Putting in central heating instead of electric heaters; redoing the paint work; putting down new carpets; and adding new white goods have provided me with a warm, cosy and welcoming home. Great job!” A resident.
Of course, nothing ever goes completely smoothly and we did need to overcome a small oil leak from the tank pipework in the early weeks, a water leak in one of the cottage bathrooms and some staining on one of the chimney breasts. However, these were all quickly overcome by the trusted suppliers we used and we would most definitely use them all again, as well as recommend them on to others looking to undergo similar projects of work.
After renovations
Other people in the village/parish have highlighted how well the project was conceived and the positive impact it has had, not just on the almshouse residents, but also on their neighbours.
In conclusion
All in all, a comprehensive programme of works and very happy residents facilitated by a committed board of trustees, some excellent local services (who we will happily recommend to others) and, of course, The Almshouse Association.
The Almshouse Association would 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 10 November 2025