Olivia Greenway finds out how traditional almshouses continue to help those in need
A History Of Almshouses Olivia Greenway explores the history of these buildings and how they continue to help those in need to this day.
YOU may have come across a small cluster of pretty buildings in our towns and cities, clustered together around a patch of green, and they may very well be almshouses.
According to a YouGov survey, 64% of people had no idea almshouses exist.
However, there are around 2,600 almshouses in the UK, providing homes for over 36,000 people in need and involving over 1,700 individual charities.
It’s interesting to consider how they came about and how attitudes to being poor have changed.
From the Middle Ages, poverty was seen as the individual’s fault.
Vagabonds or those without work could be put in stocks for three days and then driven out of town.
During the Elizabethan period, the Poor Law devolved power to the parishes, which decided between “deserving” and “undeserving” poor.
Poverty was seen as a driver for work. By the early 19th century, the workhouse had become the only way for the poor to obtain relief.
Workhouses were made deliberately unpleasant to make sure they were a last resort. One only has to read Dickens and Trollope to know of the conditions.
Everything changed, though, in 1948 when the Poor Law was abolished and the welfare state came into being. For the first time, the state would offer assistance to everyone who needed help, as a right.
However, with state priority given to the young and those with families, almshouses continued to provide a much-needed permanent home for older people finding themselves alone in later life and with limited means. This is still the case today.
The first almshouses in the UK date from the 10th century, and were often attached to religious orders or hospitals.
Early almshouses were called “bede houses” or prayer houses. The main aim was to provide hospitality for those in need, which eventually included accommodation.
The three pillars of almshouses are safety, security and warmth, the warmth being both physical and emotional.
The deal was that if you were given accommodation, you had to pray regularly for the founder. Many were dissolved during the Reformation, but some survived and many have been established since.
Private benefactors left provision in their estate so almshouses could be built and their name live on.
Tradespeople recognised the need to look after their own communities when things go wrong, so they built almshouses, too.
All almshouses are now set up as charities, led by a board of trustees.
Almshouses support a neighbourhood community but residents live independently, paying a contribution towards the accommodation, usually at below market rates.
As they have been built over the centuries, around a third of almshouses are listed buildings of historic interest.
Of course, the fortunes of the charities running them have changed over the years. This is where the Almshouse Association comes in.
Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, the Almshouse Association was set up to be a central body to support almshouses, to promote their work and liaise with government in the charities’ best interests.
The association works closely with the Charity Commission, so is involved with all sorts of training, guidance and advice.
Nick Phillips, chief executive, says, “In the last decade over a thousand almshouses have been built, more than in any other time since the Victorian period.”
It’s not all good news, though. A few almshouse charities are struggling, mainly the smaller ones, which are sometimes reliant on voluntary staff.
They could join a larger group to get financial support or they may get help from the association, if it is felt to be for their long-term benefit.
The association has given over £1m this year in grants and loans to support organisations in need.
There is no doubt that the almshouse model is highly successful. Research commissioned by the association has shown that people live on average four years longer in an almshouse than in other forms of social housing.
Juliet Ames-Lewis is Chief Executive of the Richmond Charities in London, which is a member of the Almshouse Association.
It’s one of the “lucky” charities to have seen their fortunes improve over the years.
Richmond’s association with royalty has always attracted the wealthy and they in turn wanted to leave a lasting legacy in their town.
Although the Richmond Charities have some beautiful buildings, such as Hickey’s, a new development of flats, with more planned, is found in nearby Twickenham.
“We have to build flats as land in Richmond is now prohibitively expensive,” Juliet says.
“In any case, we need level accommodation (with lifts) with all the latest health and safety measures and wheelchair access so our residents can enjoy a home for life.”
The flats are near shops and on bus routes and all have a communal open terrace with planters. ■