Popple’s almshouses, run by the Elizabeth Wadsworth Trust in Halifax, made the local news with their garden party to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of The Almshouse Association.
They hung out our special anniversary bunting and The Mayor and Mayoress of Calderdale performed the opening ceremony by cutting the tape.
Residents, families, friends and neighbours, trustees and staff all attended and the North Halifax Councillors and headteacher of our local primary school were also invited.
“The Trustees provided a substantial buffet and we were entertained by a local group called The Landlubbers.
Many thanks to Elizabeth Moore, Clerk to The Trustees of Elizabeth Wadsworth Charity for sending in these photos and writing in to tell us all about it!
Popple’s Almshouses were founded by philanthropist Elizabeth Wadsworth in 1832 to benefit single ladies aged 50 years and above. Elizabeth had connections with Anne Lister, as dramatised in the TV series Gentleman Jack , and wrote diaries from 1817-1829, around the same time as Ms Lister.
The Almshouse Association regularly posts a news summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact / requires action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable. Please find below our latest summary :
Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Housing Ombudsman Strategy Consultation – The Housing Ombudsman has opened a consultation on its strategy for the upcoming three years. With impending legislation strengthening the role of the ombudsman this consultation presents members with an opportunity to feed into what it should prioritize.here . It is due to close on November 12th 2021.£65m support package announced for vulnerable renters – DLUHC has announced a £65m fund to support vulnerable renters over the winter months. The fund will be distributed to local councils to help prevent homelessness and support families to get back on their feet after the pandemic.here .The Budget 2021
The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has announced this year’s budget with a number of housing announces included this year. These include:
£1.8bn for 180,000 new homes through land regeneration £640m per year to be spent on the Government’s commitment to end rough sleeping £5bn for remediation of the highest risk buildings wish unsafe cladding Taper rate for Universal Credit to be reduced from 63% to 55% meaning claimants keep more of their money earned through work The ‘freeze’ in local housing allowance will remain in place for another 12 months at least Energy and Environment
Heat and Building Strategy – The government has announced its long-awaited Heat and Building Strategy . The strategy outlines the government’s plans to reach net zero by 2050. This includes:Funding from April 2022 for heat pumps through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme Phasing out new natural gas boilers from 2035 Investment into projects on the potential use of hydrogen in the heat network The Association will shortly publish a breakdown of the key takeaways for our members. The full strategy can be found here .
Previous Policy and Governance updates: Policy & Governance update: 20.09.21 | (almshouses.org) Policy & Governance update: 15.10.21 | (almshouses.org) Policy & Governance: 31.08.21 update | (almshouses.org) Policy & Governance update: 16.08.21 | (almshouses.org) Policy & Governance: 02.08.21 update – 2 August 2021 Summary Policy & Governance update – 19 July 21 Summary Policy & Governance update: 5 July 21 Policy and Governance update – June 2021 Summary Policy and Governance update – May 2021 Summary Policy and Governance update – April 2021 Summary Policy and Governance update – March 2021 Summary Policy & Governance update – February 2021 Summary Policy and Governance update – January 2021 Summary Policy & Governance update – December 2020 Summary Policy and Governance – October 2020 Summary Policy and Governance – September 2020 Summary Policy and Governance – July/August 2020 Summary Policy and Governance – June 2020 Summary Policy and Governance – May 2020 Summary Policy and Governance – Apr 2020 Summary Policy and Governance – Mar 2020 Summary Policy and Governance – Feb 2020 Summary Policy and Governance –Jan 2020 Summary
Posted 1 November 21
During Trustees’ Week, we want to celebrate the dedication and inspiration of all our member trustees who run the 1600+ almshouse charities across the UK.
Almshouses are special. They offer a safe, secure, affordable home for local people in housing need. They give the most vulnerable in our communities a place to call home, opening doors to better lives. Almshouses create micro-communities where people can live independently yet be supported by neighbours.
Trustees are the silent heroes who offer their time, care and attention, voluntarily, to run and manage their almshouses to support the continued provision of safe and secure self-sufficient low cost community housing, for people in housing need.
Dating back to the 10th Century, almshouses are the oldest form of social housing; they are held in trust by local people for local people in perpetuity, generation after generation. It is from these solid foundations that we can all champion the movement and ensure the continuance of their legacies for many generations to come.
Trustees are vital to the almshouse movement. They are essential to the longevity of almshouses, ensuring the legacies left in their care can continue and thrive into the future.
We thank all the trustees who work tirelessly to provide their residents with safe, warm secure homes that endures the test of time.
More reading:
A BIG THANK YOU! Its Trustees’ week and we want to send a heartfelt thank you to all our amazing members for the passion and dedication you give to your almshouses and your residents.
You are the silent heroes of the almshouse movement and we are inspired on a daily basis by the commitment and energy you give, year in and year out, to enable local people in your communities to live in warm, safe homes.
Visit here for more information on Trustees Week
Posted 1 November 21
The Foord Almshouses in Priestfields, Rochester held their Almshouse Association 75th Anniversary Garden Party on a beautiful September day in their stunning grounds.
Deputy Mayor and June Bone Delicious food, special guests and a band ensured everyone enjoyed all getting together for the first time in a long time for their special day.
Clerk Joanne Guise sent in a lovely letter to the Association after the event, together with photos taken on the day.
The sunshine shone all day upon the 70 plus residents & guests who attended including the Deputy Mayor of Medway Councillor Kirstine Carr & her consort Mr Tony Setter.
A wonderful fun afternoon was had by all.
Happy Anniversary and thank you for all your ongoing support.
Joanne Guise
Thank you to everyone at The Foords Almshouses for joining in our celebrations and sending in your fabulous photos!
Foord Almshouses staff
Tiverton Almshouse Trust has been supporting older people in Tiverton with quality homes and friendly warden support for many years and can traces its history back in Tiverton to 560 years ago.
Pic by Mark Passmore photography After such a difficult 18 months with the pandemic, it was good to have a great reason to celebrate. There were events held at each of their two main almshouse community sites in Tiverton to mark the 75th Anniversary of the formation of The Almshouse Association.
Residents were treated to a buffet, drinks and a celebratory cake at each event which was cut by the residents who had lived at each almshouse site the longest helped by John Pulford, Chair of the Charity.
Pic by Mark Passmore photography Everyone was entertained by one of Tiverton’s own residents, Stan, who delivered some wonderful musical entertainment with tunes from yesteryear.
Doreen Woodward, Chief Executive of Tiverton Almshouse said
“The Residents, Directors and Staff felt this coming together was long overdue and it lifted everyone’s spirits, we were fortunate that the weather was warm and sunny which was an added bonus for all.”
Pic by Mark Passmore photography/ www.markpassmore.com.
The 75th birthday celebrations at Greenway Gardens part of the Tiverton Almshouses
Almshouse Association Trustee Tricia Scouller sent us in some great photos of the party held at the Thomas Christie Almshouses in Bedford at the end of August.
Residents, trustees and staff joined in our 75th celebrations and those of almshouse charities all over the country.
It was a day to get on the party clothes and blow away the cobwebs of the last 18 months!
There was lots to catch up on and it looks like everyone enjoyed a wonderful garden party with a delicious afternoon tea and plenty of smiles!
History of the Thomas Christie Almshouse Charity
Thomas Christie was a seventeenth century Bedford lawyer. Not an especially wealthy man, but he cared about the needs of his community and used his money to provide enduring benefits for Bedford.
As part of this year’s Charity Fraud Awareness Week, The Almshouse Association is reminding members of the importance of protecting their charities against fraud and cybercrime.
Trustees can take measures such as appointing a suitable person to champion counter-fraud work throughout the charity, performing stringent checks and due diligence, and assessing each year how well fraud controls are working, what new risks there may be and what improvements are needed.
Further information on Charity Fraud Awareness Week can be found here https://preventcharityfraud.org.uk/
Additional resources are provided by the Charity Commission https://www.gov.uk/guidance/protect-your-charity-from-fraud
And the National Cyber Security Centre also has a small charity guide https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/charity
Posted 21 October 21
Christmas Fund now open !
Christmas is once again almost upon us and we are very happy to be able to announce that requests for Christmas vouchers for almshouse residents are now being taken.
As many of you are aware, every year at the bequest of a late benefactor, The Almshouse Association is able to offer Christmas vouchers to almshouse residents of member charities who are (or will be) 90 years old or older on the 25th December 2021.
Member charities will need to apply for Christmas vouchers by completing and sending in our Christmas Fund application form .
Please be aware that the closing date for applications is 12th November 2021 and because the fund is limited, vouchers will be issued on a first come, first served basis*.
*We politely request that if your charity is able to afford a small gift to your residents that you do not apply .
The Almshouse Association Christmas Fund derives its origin from a generous legacy left to the Association over 70 years ago by Major Allnatt, a successful businessman and philanthropist who worked closely with and supported our founding General Secretary, Leonard Hackett. It was important to Major Allnatt that his gift remained a secret until his death, many years ago now, but his legacy lives on in the form of a gift to every almshouse resident over 90 every Christmas .
Posted 20th October 2021
(Above photo: Member Services Officer Susan Brooks Christmas 2020 posting Christmas gifts)
The Almshouse Association Statement on Rising Energy Costs Members of The Almshouse Association have been in touch to ask what support might be in place for charities who are facing significant increases in the cost of energy. Many are concerned about the impact this may have on WMCs and how this may affect residents.
Unfortunately, almshouses, and charities generally, do not benefit from any special rates when it comes to energy. We would normally advise members to switch providers for a cheaper deal, but currently it is extremely unlikely that switching would achieve a lower tariff.
The appropriate time to review costs is at your annual WMC uplift date.
The Association would currently advise that members evaluate the financial position, the current WMC and their residents’ ability to pay without hardship. This should help you decide. The guidance from various sources is that costs will remain high and may climb higher.
What are our options to balance the books?
These might include adjusting WMCs if there is capacity to do so without causing financial hardship, or potentially exploring using charity funds to subsidise the increase in the short term. Trustees should decide what is the most appropriate solution for their individual circumstances. It would be advisable to discuss your circumstances with your energy provider to see whether additional support may be available to the charity or residents.
The Association is looking to work with the Government to call for charities to receive safeguards from future price fluctuations.
Posted 18 October 21