Case Study: Kettlestone Charities, Little Snoring, Fakenham

This Charity received an Almshouse Association loan of £25,000 towards the cost of insulating the end of the property (bathroom), upgrading the hot water and heating system, and installing solar panels on the south-facing roof.

Clerk, Joanna Otte, has kindly shared the background to the renovations and takes us on their journey to a greener future:

Background

The small village of Kettlestone is fortunate to have two almshouses which provide affordable homes in North Norfolk where many local people are priced-out of the housing market and fewer properties are available for long-term rent.

Both the almshouses are believed to have been instituted during the 18^th century for the benefit of the needy within the parish of Kettlestone. One, the Schuldham Almshouse, was established in 1776 by bequest of Francis Schuldham, the then Lord of the Manor. The other, which was originally two dwellings, was bought by the parish and is thought to replace an earlier cottage of about 1736.

The latter, a single storey building, was renovated in 2010 (also with the support of a loan from The Almshouse Association). During that renovation the central wall, with its back-to-back fireplace for the original cottages, was removed to create a comfortable open-plan kitchen and living room with high-level insulation. The bathroom, however was not included at the time as it had only recently been turned into a wet room.

The project plan

Now, over twelve years later, the trustees needed to insulate the bathroom properly. As the occupant was moving to be nearer family, it was agreed that it was an opportune time to upgrade the heating and hot water systems as well as improve the insulation of the bathroom.

Advice was sought from ‘Leaping Hare’, a local company specialising in energy-efficient products. They suggested:

• that the old immersion heater (which only heated enough water to fill a quarter of the bathtub) should be replaced with an energy efficient hot water system
• the night storage heating should be replaced with more efficient infrared heating panels, and
• solar panels (with a storage battery) should be installed on the long south-facing roof to provide electricity for the property.

During a morning in the empty almshouse with both Katharine from Leaping Hare and Craig from Osier Developments the plans began to take shape and adjustments made in order to improve the initial ideas:

• Craig and his team would strip out the bathroom and the airing cupboard, insulate the exterior walls, replace the toilet, remove the bath completely and in its place install a vanity unit with a sink.
• They would also carry out the repairs to the brick and flint work on the exterior of the building which had been identified in a recent Quinquennial Inspection.
• Katharine and the Leaping Hare team would install the new hot water heater with additional pipes to the shower and the kitchen sink as these had previously been supplied by individual electric units.
• Leaping Hare would also install infrared heating panels to the sloping ceilings of the living room, kitchen, porch and small corridor, and to the flat ceiling in the bedroom. This would free up wall space for bookcases or cupboards and allow the occupant to arrange furniture without the need to allow for hot air to circulate from wall-mounted storage heaters.
• The heating in the bathroom would be provided by a large infrared mirror above the vanity unit, directing heat towards the shower.

Raising the funds

The initial quotes for the project came in at just under £37,000. Unfortunately the property was not eligible for grants from the County Council Warm Homes initiative nor from the local offshore windfarm fund.

So the Trustees applied to The Almshouse Association for an interest-free loan of £25,000 (plus 5% admin fee). The application process was thorough, but straightforward and assistance was available from the administration staff. The application was successful which meant that the trustees could go ahead with the full programme of improvements and upgrades, while still having funds available to tackle the maintenance and repairs which had been identified in Quinquennial Inspections for both almshouses (the other almshouse needed a new front door, repointing to brickwork and repairs to two chimney stacks).

The total cost of the heating, water and electrical and insulation upgrades (and the additional maintenance) at the almshouse came to just over £47,500. So the loan from The Almshouse Association was a great help and much appreciated by the trustees and clerk.

Payback on solar panels

The trustees discussed how to achieve the pay-back on the solar panel investment without disadvantaging the new occupant.

• A number of options were considered, including taking on responsibility for the electrical bills. The latter was rejected as the trustees did not wish to be responsible for non-payment of bills nor to impinge on the occupant’s independence and incentive to use the solar-powered electricity, hot water and heating systems efficiently in order to get the ‘feed-in’ payment.
• After much discussion and a helpful spreadsheet, it was decided to add £7.30 to the Weekly Maintenance Contribution which had in turn been set with reference to the Fair Rent Valuation from the Valuation Office Agency. This figure would mean that the investment in the solar panels would be recuperated over 40 years, while the occupant would benefit from low energy bills.

Happy resident, better environment

The new occupant is thrilled with her home and moved in as soon as the building and installations had been completed. With these measures in place the almshouse is more comfortable and cost-effective for the occupant in the short and long term, and has a beneficial impact on the environment and climate by reducing the use of and reliance on fossil fuels.

Did you know?

Funds used by The Almshouse Association to make loans to charities last in perpetuity. Loans to charities are interest-free with just a small setup fee. As they pay back the loan over a 10 year period, the Association is able to re-lend out the funds over and over again, ensuring more almshouses can be built or older almshouses can be preserved with a new roof or modernised with extensions or wet rooms. So if you are thinking about contributing to our rolling charity support fund by making a donation or leaving money in your Will, you will know that your money will be helping to change people’s lives for the better for many, many generations to come.

A mission to bring a 17th Century ‘Hospital’ in Ufford, Suffolk, into the 21st Century

– Refurbishment of the Ufford Almshouses – Mid-Project Case Study

In 2023, Ufford Almshouses received a £75,000 loan from the Association towards the extension and refurbishment of their two almshouses.

The charity clerk, Judi Hallett has been keeping the Association well informed of how the loan is being spent and shares this update as they reach the half way point:

The History

The Ufford Almshouses were originally called Woods Hospital. They were bequeathed to the Parish of Ufford in 1690, in the Will of Thomas Wood, Bishop of Lichfield.

Originally a hospital for the poor of Ufford, they were altered substantially in 1959 when they were converted into two dwellings. The most memorable features of these Grade II listed almshouses are the curved brick Dutch gables at each end. These incorporate huge chimney stacks and there is a similarly detailed stack along the ridge.

The properties were modernised in 1990 and in 2021, the trustees made the decision to bring the properties up to modern living standards.

The Project

The Current Properties
The current properties (2 and 2A Church Lane, Ufford) have 2 bedrooms, both upstairs, a small kitchen and a narrow downstairs cloakroom. The stairs split halfway to lead to each bedroom. The upstairs bathrooms have a bath but no shower.  

The Refurbishment
The refurbishment will see a single storey extension to the rear incorporating:

• a new reception room
• the current living room will become a much larger kitchen/diner
• the present kitchen and cloakroom will be knocked together to form a level bathroom with walk-in shower
• the upstairs bathrooms will be refurbished
• upgraded heating will allow underfloor heating downstairs and modern radiators upstairs
• the roof will be completely stripped, new insulation fitted, and all tiles replaced. All windows will be either replaced or refurbished and all flooring will be renewed.

Half way point of project

The trustees are approximately halfway through the project:

• the extensions to both properties are complete, with the extension for 2A being watertight
• the roof is 100% complete with new insulation and tiles
• 2A has been completely gutted, with walls moved, new electrics fitted, all plumbing for the new bathrooms in place and the new boiler fitted. The kitchen is part installed and plastering starts this week in the extension. 2A is due to be completed in January 2024 when the current resident of 2 will move across to it, whilst her property is refurbished.

More pictures of the refurbishment can be found at: Pictures (suffolk.cloud)

Challenges

To date, the following challenges have been faced:

• Bats – Ufford is a very rural village and home to many bats. Before the work could start specialist Bat Surveyors had to be engaged to ensure there were no bats roosting in the roof. Luckily, there were not but the trustees have decided they will put up bat nesting boxes when the project is finished.

• Funding – The lead in time to get all the funding in place for the project was significant, around 18 months. The Charity joined the Almshouse Consortium Ltd who were able to provide the expertise needed to secure a grant from Homes England. It also took several months to receive approval from the Charity Commission to use up to £175,000 of the Charities’ endowment funds.

• Extent of the refurbishment – There was debate about the extent of the scheme once the estimates had been obtained, in what was a period of significant increase in construction costs. The trustees decided that a lesser refurbishment would not provide the living space necessary for modern living for more elderly people, some of whom may have mobility issues.

How were the existing residents affected?

This whole project was initiated following the death of one of their long-term residents who had lived in 2A for 20 years and the property was in desperate need of refurbishment. This vacancy has allowed them to refurbish one property and then move their other resident, Mrs C, into the refurbished side, whilst her property is updated.

Although the move was just next door, Mrs C is in her late 80s and the thought of the moving and disruption understandably concerned her family. Offers of local rehousing for 2-3 months were made available at the outset and the option was kept available should Mrs C find the disruption too great. Mrs C made the decision to stay in the house next door and is really looking forward to her new downstairs bathroom, as she can now no longer use the stairs.

The building company chosen were local and all tradesmen have been very thoughtful and understanding; this was one of the considerations, together with cost, for them to be awarded the contract.

How was the project funded?

• The majority of the funding has come from the Charity’s endowments and Extraordinary Repair Fund
• The Almshouse Association reviewed the project in detail and held an onsite meeting with 2 of the trustees before awarding the Charity a loan of £75,000. This is to be paid back over a 10-year period, starting in 2024.
• The trustees were also able to secure a grant from Homes England. In order to secure this grant they worked with Saffer Cooper and became members of the Almshouse Consortium Ltd (ACL). The grant is for approximately one third of the total cost of the project, but it is not paid until completion, so they have had to use more of the Charity’s endowments than originally planned, with a view to repaying these once the Homes England grant is received.

What will the benefits be of this project?

Once complete, the Ufford Almshouses will be fit for living in the 21st Century. They will be accessible and will allow for ground floor living, if required. They will have modern heating and they will be fit for purpose for at least another 30 years.

What happens next?

The project is halfway through; the first task is to complete 2A, and then move Mrs C into that property in order to refurbish the other property. Mrs C will have the option of remaining in 2A or returning to 2, her original dwelling. Either way, when the refurbishment is complete two local residents, with limited financial resources, will have warm and comfortable homes to live in.

What one piece of advice would we pass on to others?

Allocate a sub-group of trustees who can manage the project detail with the architect and the builder with regular (monthly) site meetings and controls to validate the interim project valuations.