2021 is the year we celebrate our 75th Anniversary of supporting and representing almshouse charities.
By support, we mean offering advice, guidance, grants and loans to almshouse charities to ensure the delivery of an exemplar housing model that has stood the test of time for over a 1000 years and continues to provide value and efficiency in its delivery of local affordable community housing for people in housing need.
Our 75th anniversary provides us with the wonderful opportunity to join together with our member charities and celebrate their achievements and dedication to the Almshouse Movement.
âIn a recent YouGov Survey* new figures show that eight out of ten people (84%) are not aware of any almshouses in their local area and identified that over 68% of people do not know what an almshouse is.â
YouGov Nov 20
Itâs now more vital than ever to raise the profile of the many tangible benefits that almshouses bring to local communities and the heritage that our member charities are helping preserve for future generations.
Almshouses add to the warmth of a community, a âcommunity spiritâ that offers safety and security and make it possible for residents to continue to live independently yet still close to familiar surroundings. They provide a place for social interaction but also privacy.
To commemorate our 75th Anniversary year we will be shouting about our 1600+ member charities and the wonderful work they do. We are inspired on a daily basis by the commitment, dedication and tenacity of our members and the passion they have for their almshouseâs and the residents they support.
Throughout 2021, we will be campaigning heavily in Parliament to generate more support for the Almshouse Movement and will look at opportunities to generate more local and national press coverage, with press interviews taking place at chosen regional sites.
Our member charities will be holding local events in celebration of their achievements and the role their almshouses have played in supporting local people in housing need. The âOpen Garden Campaignâ starts in early summer 2021 and will run all the way through to the early autumn months. Residents will be baking cakes and sharing their delights with their local communities in recognition of the Almshouse Movement. Watch out for invitations being displayed in your local shops and businesses and on social media sites and join them in their celebrations.
There is so much history and inspiration surrounding almshouses, and the story of this 1000 year old affordable housing model needs to be told boldy and proudly. Join us and enjoy learning more about almshouses and the passion behind this amazing housing model that is a secret about to be told.
Please support us!
There are over 30,000 almshouses across the UK and many are in the process of refurbishment and/or redevelopment. We also have an aim to create over 5,000 more almshouses in the next ten years. The demand is there but we canât do this without your help.
The Almshouse Association offers grants and loans to member charities who need the financial support to create the warm and secure homes their residents deserve. We need your support to help them continue to refurbish/redevelop their almshouses to achieve the exemplar standard that we all want to achieve.
We also need the support to build new, state of the art almshouses that use eco-friendly building methods. This will future-proof almshouses to ensure they can continue to provide affordable homes for local people in housing need.
Please help us raise the awareness of the wonder of almshouses and the importance of this affordable community housing model by perhaps holding your own garden party in aid of your local almshouses, or connect with us or your local almshouse charity on social media. You can even use our new hashtag !
#SupportAlmshouses
If you would like to know where your nearest almshouse charity is, or would like to know more about how you can help join us to celebrate our 75th Anniversary year, please contact us at our office in Wokingham and we would be happy to talk to you!
Join us and celebrate the spirit of almshouses!
*All figures, unless otherwise stated are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2001 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between18-19th November 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+)
Posted 26 January 21