THE ALMSHOUSE ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT 2024 *¥ •• PROVIDING GUIDANCE, SUPPORT AND REPRESENTATION TO ALMSHOUSE CHARITIES SINCE 1946 ALMSHOUSE THE ALMSHOUSE ASSOCIATION Billingbeer Lodge, Maidenhe8d Road, Wokingham, Berkshire RG40 5RU T.. 01344 452922 E- almshous•supporl@almshouse$.org W.. www.almshou5es.org ReoBtered Chanty No 21S668 kealstered Companu No. OA67e214 Rou•l Patrons Klng Chorl•$111 HRH Th• Duk• of Olouc•*t•r KG OCVO Th• Board of Trustees 2024 Arnb•888dors Andraw 8arne5 ' john 8Toughtttn IP Ed Christian 18ppolnled 12 Klarch 2025. preMouslyF&GP oNul cli￿ Cook Rob Dougla5 C8E OL '# Ellzabeth Fathl" Wlllle Hartley Russell hAVO DL IChglrm8nl Davld Heaiey Paul Mullls # Trlcia Scouller'# Adam Sgdgwlck Aargaret stawart '# The Baronass 8skewall DBE HonF8A FRSA Peter Barton DL The Rt Hon. th8 Lord B8ith Ilargaret C8sely-Hauford CBE Tony Colllnson OBE FIH St Also helplng to s•l•ouard h15lorleal bulldlngs Bnd promotè th8 d•v•lopm•nt of mor• #nd bett•r •lm$hou•• communltl•s. Est8bll$hod through phllanthropu. managed and run bu Ind¢p•ndont Almshousè charltl•s 8nd1od bu lo¢•1 voluntwr tIU8t••s. almshou$•s •re th• Oldest form of charltabla hou8lng.. th•lr hl•lory can be tr•c•d b•ck Dv•r e thousand y••r*. Alm8hou8•8 8r• unlqu• In a l•g•l s•nse and hiv• • sharod omphasls on •ncouraglng comp•nlon*hlp •nd communltu. Through ralslng •w•ren¥$$. fundr•l$lng. d¢n8tlon$ •nd l•g•cloB. the Agsaclatlon 18 worklng hird wlth •lmshous• cherltl•*, local authorltl•s •nd th• Govornm•nl to m•k• It po$sIb￿ for m•ny mor• Almshou$•s to b• bulll lo $ocur• affordable houslng lor poopl• In houslng no•d today and for g•nor•tlon• to com•. In th• UK todoy. around 36,000 p•opl• Ilv• In •lm¥hou¥e dwelllngs, wh•r• th•u l••d Ind•p•nd•nt ond lulfllllng IIvo8. bulld frl•ndshlpi, Improv• th•lr wellb•lng. and •nJoy • ••n8• Ot s•¢urlty wlthln th•lr communltl••. CONTENTS CHAIRMAN'S REVIEW FINANCIAL REVIEW 2024 18-17 CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT TRUSTEES, RESPONSIBILITIES STATEMENT 17 THE ALMSHOVSE ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP AUDITORS. REPORT 18-19 STRUCTURE. GOVERNANCE AND MANAOEKIENT OF THE ALMSHOUSE ASSOCIATION Publlc B•n•flt The Leonard Hack•tt M•morl•l Tvu•l stat•m•nt of Rlsk Str•t•gu to 2030 Pollcy A Thd Engio•m•nt WR SERVICES M•mb•r •nqulrl•• Ind wpporl Momb•r chèrlty h••ith ch•ck• Tr4lnlng •nd •v•nt• Grants and 104n• Ingurance FINANCIAL STATEKIENTS st•t•m•nt ol Fln•ncld Actlvltl•8 8114nc• Sh••t Sl•l•m•nt of Ca#h Flow• Accountlng Poll¢l•8 Not•9 to th• Fln•n¢l•l StAtwn•nts 20-35 20 23-25 26-35 THE ALMSfrMJUSE ASSOCIATION 2024 AWARDS 38-37 DOWAIIONS ANO SUPPORT 37 10-15 io 10 THANK YOU... 38-39 PANEL OF CONSULTANTS 40-43 12 12 13-15 ADVERTISEMENTS 44-58 fjRADiJATES OF 2024 Insld• b•ck cov•r Supportlng th• •lmshouM mov•m•nt OUR VISION - for the 81mshouse model to be recognlsed as the exemplar form of communlty houslng CHAIRMAN'S REVIEW It Is wlth much pl•8sure that w4 present Th• Almshouse Assoclatlon s Annu81 Report and Accounts for tho uoar ended 31 Do¢emb•r 2024. In my first full year bs Ch81rmBn ol The Almshouse Association, I have been inspired bu the t*ent. passion and h$rd work of our Executive Team Sn strrving our rrernber- ship. The depth and breadth of expertisè defines us as an organisation and enables us lo make a lasting. positive impact on the alm5￿USe movement, our héritage and people's lives. 2024 has been an exceLient year for the Associetlon and one of slgnlfi¢ant Irnpect for the movement 85 a whole The work of Assoclation Is Invaluable. We have the powe¥ to Influence onE of the most Important Issues of our tlme - affordgble housing th81 beneflts mental health and wellbeing through the almshouse vement's historic charity model of good neighbours living independènt livas, in a secure, heritage environment. Therg are over 1,600 almshouse charltiès In England Asswigtion by the end of 2027 whlch rn8u entAII a 8nd W8les providing $8fe 8nd w8rm home5 for 8roJnd furthef rn￿est increase in subscriptions in that year. 36,000 residents. The almshousB rnovernent accounts y frèeing up our reserves, the Association can assist lor 1% of 811 charities in England and Wales and the those morp ch8lleng$cJ glmshouse ch8riti8s who requlre oldest charitles In England and WBles are almshouse grants 8nd 8ddltlonal SUPForl lo carru out essential charltias. The work of the movament Is governed bu repairs and improvements. sorne 8,000 trustees who give q8nerou51y or thelr lima Thg Association is a charity Ih8t is well placed to do Ind are pivotal in ¢reatlng ¢ommunllles within th8 morè lor Its members, our heritage and for 8lmshouse Indivlduel rnember charities residents, 8nd it has a role to play in addressing some of The Assoclation's cffice located al 8llllngbear Lodge the key issues foclng sociètu. We must 811 work together aThJ adloinlng house naar Wokingh8m, w8re glfted to lo preserve and prDmQte ¢Uf 8lmshous8s, hwllsgè and thè Association by the Isle L8ongrd Hackètt, one of th8 traditions. I want to ensu￿ Ihgt thè Ass¢¢i8tion, whl¢h founders and Genoral Secrglary of the Associatlon. Is privileged to b8 able lo take such a IonG view, plays Th8 Association outgrew these offices some year5 090 leading role in reelising these ambltlon5. and as a result the Boerd took the decision to identllu Thls year we have given more locus to looking forw9rd new off Ices that w￿jId servè the Association for future nd ensurlng the A550clgtlon, 8nd 811 that we do on d8cades. t*half of our members, Ss hare lor generblions to come. Wè ware loftunale to Identify an axcellent set of The Association, led bu Nick Phillip8, Chief Executive. h85 freehold offices, contained in two building5, in central n working diligentlu to Windsor. The new ottl¢es offer twlee the aceommoda- pgrsuade Gov8rnmgnt to tlon, heve p8rklng for staff 8nd vlsllors ard we hope to recogn15e almshouses as offer more semlnars and training events at our new 'alfordable housiThJ' in heacJqL￿r1erS in the futurg. The new ofticgs will also government legislation. provide the Ass(Kiation with addition81 leltlng income. Our members Mave bBen most The move to Wind50r will help 'fulure prc¥)I' the helpful in conlActing their Associ8tlon. 811owing It to grow organlc811y end lo offer locBI MPS, notgbly $rt£r the g bro￿ler range of servlces to our memb6rs. The Board Ggn8r81 Election in lulu Ovef hès thèrefore decSd*1 to sell the officés and housè 81 100 MPS h8ve supported our Billingbear 8nd the expectpd proceed5 will b￿dI￿ ¢over cause lor glmshouses lo be the cost ol the n8w freehold offices in Windsor, which recognised 8S '8ffDrd8ble the Board unanirnously agreed should te n8m8d houslno,. The proposals 'L8onard H8ck8tt House,. were not integrated into the Ontt of mu objectives on bètoming Chairman was to revised pollcy, however our pul the Association on a more secure finar￿181 foollng. discussions are on-going. For manu ye8rs, the Association has only covered about One im￿)rtant development h81f its rosts through membership ¥LJbscriptions and we have been promotirKJ this w85 not SU5tain8ble as we were relying on using n 2024 has tAen Memb8r Charity H8alth Checks, en long-lerm rp5erve5. The Association's I￿e1 and rangp of services and guidance have increased signlficanlly over niti8tive we hope lo roll out to 811 members by 2030. the past lew years 8nd, 85 such. the Board felt th8t it I would encourage you lo partlClP8te in this initietive W85 nÈcèssaru to increase membership subscriptions During the year we were informed that His Majesty Tke such that in 2024 yjbscriptlons covered 70% of our Klno had agreed to continue as our Royal Patron. The King running costs. l am delighted to report that the vast has ￿en an active SUPFM)rter of the Associ81ion over majority of members SUP[￿rted Ihls increase. We lost many years and we continue to 5ubmlt new architec- small numbèr ol members due to the Sncrèas8 and lural dev8lopmenls to him for the 8nnual Patrorfs we hopè over time we can persua(Jè them to rejoin. Award. We are also fortunate to have HRH The Duke of The Bogrd's alm is to cover the njnnlno costs of th Gloucester as a Royal P8tron and he visited alMsh￿jseS ,Eli ove Dr Latnn SulllvHn. MP Icontrol •nd Cllr Dan181 Adewd? KlnA Mayw of Orgve6hAm I￿￿tI wlth As•Gcl•tlon Ch?Irm•rn WIA1•HWt￿U RUSMII •t H¢nry Plnnock •rtd Vl¢¢wl• •nd Alb•rt lA•n￿rt•1 Ch•rfttL l5rnvo5•￿ K•nt. in Cambridgeshire and Surreu during the uear. I would also like tD recognise our Ambassado￿ who do so much on behalf ol thg movem£nt without thalr IW continuing support and encouragement, our achievements would not be what they are would like 8150 lo thenk Nick Phillips and thè Executive Team lor their CDmmltmBnt in Implementing our strategy lo 2030 and thèir thoughtfulness arourd the w8yS the Associatlon contlnu8lly strives lo be a leading mernbership or9anisatiDn. The team at 8111ingbe8r has delivered a great performance over thp uear and this Annu81 Report Is a wonderful trlbute to their dedlcalion, imaolnètion ènd shper herd work, I thank them for everythlng thay 8chleved in 2024. In addition, I woul(J liké to expr?55 rny gratllude to all our Board membèrs for their f3nl8stic work throughout the year, helplng lo pul member Iruslees gt the he8rt ol evèruthlno we do and making sure we are alwaus guidèd by the experlences of thg trustegs, clerk8 9nd resldents we exist lo support. There have bgen some changgs at Board Level. At th8 end ol the uear, Rob ODugl85 retired 8s a Board member after nine Years of service We will miss Rob's excsilenl contribution and wlse counsel. Wè gre delighted lo welcome Ed Chrlstign to the Boafd In 2025. For several yèars Ed has sèrvèd as e co-opted mem- ber of the Finance and Gen8ro1 PufPQSe5 Subcommittee will be joining the Board as TreaSU￿r. John will t8ke up thi5 Posltion from the AGM In hjne. Whilg drslting thls summary, it is wlth great sadness that I musl rèport our dear fri8nd and long-lerm &lms- house champion, Rlchard Knipe, has died. His support to his own almshouse charity in Spblcling, to the 808rd and lo Nick and the teem over manu ue8rs has been of irnThasurable value. We will all miss hlm gre8tly. IIM Klno Ch•rlea 111 l•rt ts nght.. HRH rh• Duk• ¢1 Olouu•t•r wlth Wlll• H•rtlw ￿￿•• •nd Alm•hoiJs• A85gclatton CEQ I￿￿ Phllllp•. One of the most enjoyable and rewarding parts of my job as Chairman is vlsitlng our mèmber charities throughout the country and meetlng them at seminars. We have an excellent network and collaborative nature and l sm looking forward to VlSlting mgmber charltles, if asked. Equally, we have 8n import8nt partneishlp with City and provlnci81 Ilveru companies, m8ny with 8 long tr8dilion of almshouse provlsion. Tha support and encouragement thet livery compania5 providè is centrsl to our mission l am pleased to report thp A5SOCiation has applled to the Collegè ol Arms lor 8 Grant ot Arms. The Arms should be granted toward5 the of 2025 or eerlu In 2026 and will reflect our heritage, work and servlce lo the communitu, Finally, I want lo thank all our mambers and Regional Pear Representatives for their support of the Associatlon. We ere now better placed then ever lo make thg most of bèing an Associ8tion, working together as a socl$l movement, made up of the national ch8rlty 8nd èlmost 1,600 member charltles Your commitment h85 never been more import8nt and nothing w(KJld be possible without it. Thank you for b8ing part of our vital work Your membership and supp)rl are the future of the Association and I hope to see many of you at Mgmbers Day In central London on 19 lune 2025. As we pmoress throuoh the next uear with our renewed vision, we have 8 clear set of objectives 2nd a pl8n of action to lulfil our mission. I have no doubt the Assoclation will continue to be a thriviryJ hub ol creativity, activity and Innovation both for the nation and our member cherities. In this Annu81 Report, you can read more 8bout our hiÈvÈrnent5 and the pr￿eSSeS we have put in pi8rp to succeed in our ambition to provide more lor our members. You can also read about our future plans and slr8tegy to 2030. Th15 report CDnt8ins our full financial report and èccounts, ss well ss leg818nd administrativg Inform8tion about our Asso¢i3tlon. l commend this report to you. Wlllle Hartley Ru55811 Chairman of The Almshouse Assoclatlon rwt. wiitl• H•rtl•y RugMII wlth a r••ld•rt ol tho WornhlpfLA Cttmyny of Fr•rn•work Knltt•rn alrn8housrt O•dbw L•lc•$t•r. lgft.. W1411e H8rt¢•y Ru8seU at Th• Frl•ndly Almghou8•9 In Loftdon SW9 wlth Ileftl loln Walk•r. truit•• andlrighti F•ll¢lty StOn•hI￿ Chlr. and has gDt to know the Assctiation well. We look forward to benèfitting from his financial expert15e. Over the course of 2025 and 2026 we will be w￿lcoM1n0 8 further six new Irustegs to thg BD8rd who arè actively rnoviru through an induction process. At our AGM Dn 19 June 2025, Simon Ling wlll step down as our Tre85urer having formerly been our He8d of Finance. l am deliuhted to rep)rt that John Graham, formèriu Fin8nce Olrector at the NSPCC and then the Royal Britlsh Legion. CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT W• are 811 too aw•re of the desperate ond urgent noed lor affordable houslng. Therg ar8 Increaslng numbers ol oldgr peopl• 8nd young famllles wlth low or no Income flndlng them$elves ln posltlons of houslng nead, uncertalntu and Isolatlon. Homelessness, poor houslno and lonellness Impact thousands In our soclotu. Some have b••n •bl• to flnd • stable hcm• •nd warm communlty In the almshouse world. largely Ihank$ to the lantastlc work of clerks, wardens and some 8,000 trustegs of our m¢mbershlp. In 2024, The Almshouse Association member charities faced significant str3tegic challenges. A su￿tantIaL change In legislation, fundirvJ 8t)d st3tutory requirements, rising bullding costs, difficultu in recrulting trustees, Increasingly IT8il residents snd the responslbllity of pr8sgrving historic bulldlngs all contributed to the piessur8s felt by trusteas. Desplle these challenges, they work tirel8ssly to preserv8 anty msintain these wonderful buildlngs and, most importantly, foster vibr8nt communities, ensuring that every residènt has a warm horne and good neighbour. Led by our Ch8irrnen, Willie H8rtleu Russ&11, th8 Boèrd to move on ils position. In discussion with our members, ol Trustees reviewed the p18nned str8tegu t8kino the the Association put forward 8 propos81 for 8 Code or Association lo 2030. The stralegu is considered lo be Conduct and mambershlp of an OmbJdsm8n Scheme, rot*Jst and the Board is contident that It responds whl¢h en ov$rwhalming 98°A of our membership Iwho cleerly to the ch8lleng8s det8118d abov8. responded to our survey) supportècj. This work will need •LvvB18tt. Wlll For¥tv. KIP Woklny wlth A•sucl*tlon CE4 Illck PhllllpB It an •lrn¥houM Inlorm•tlon drcp Irf lor MP• •nd tholr st•fl •t Port¢ulll8 Hous¢ W•itmln•t•r. 8t￿4 rvJht.. Lunch wlth r•std•nt• of w•*￿rI. ￿M•hOUs•1. London. right.. Nkk Phllllp¥ W•4 4 gU•¥t •p••k•i •t th• Wornhlpful Cornynu of W•av•r8' Ch•rt•r Olnn•r. DuriryJ 202L, in support Df our tru5tee5 over 1,000 to continue in 2025. clerks, the te8m has responded lo over 3,800 enquiries In sddltion, furth8r on 8 v8riety of matters ranging from 18gal and building legislation is issues to frail resld8nt challenoes. Bxpected In the Our work with thè Govèrnm@nt tontinuos Currently, social houslng sector alrnshouse charities are excluded frorn Section 106 and almshouse fundlng, a local alfDrdable housing fund, beceuse the charities will neecl to decide whether they wish to be definition ol 8fford8ble h(xJsing in thè Nstional Planning scciel houslng provlders or a unlque form of charitu that Policy Frarnpwork INPPFI exclude5 all but larger has been in existence for Dver 8 thous8nd years. reglstered housing aSs￿ratiOnS and is not designed for The Assoclation Is grateful for the support recelve gm811 charities. The only available option for almshouse from a number of org8nis8tions including the Cherily haritles who w15h ta b? recDgnised and recelve this Commission, the National Housing Federation, the suppart is for thern to become Registerèd Providers, Regu181or of Soci81 Housiw, Homes England and Houslno which, we feel, is disproporlion8te and onerous in view LIN. We remain comrnitled to collaborating with all of the 8veragg size of almshouse charities. parties to see the proposed amendment in Government In 2024, the Agsocialion engegeo dlrectly with the new guidance *c?pted 8nd 5ucc6ssfully implemented. Government, raising numerous question5 to Ministers The Associetion was honaured and delighted when His in The House of Comrrnns seeking to the Current Majesty The King confirmed the continuance ot his role NPPF and include almshouses in the deflnitlon of s The Rou81 Patron of The Almshouse Asso¢iation affordable h)using. This, togethèr wlth the dedicated support of HRH The MPS have suggested that wlthout some form of DukE of GLwce5ter whose vi51ts to our members are accreditation or 95surance, the Government Is unlikely always 8 gre8t honour. Is a wonderful morale boost for both the Associ8tion and our mèmbèrs. Both His Mai&sty The King 8txJ HRH The Duke of Gloucester Insplre invDSvem8nt In the almshouse MoVe￿Ont. hèlping to r8ise the profile of alrnshouses in the local ¢ommunitu and on a national level. During 2024. the 8BC, ITV, Channel S and nation81 newsp8pers h8ve all covered the great work of almshouse charllies. As ￿11 as making warm and wonderful news storiès, believe that much of the awareness of thè alms￿use Mr￿￿1 comes from sound research. In prevlous uegr5, we h8ve funded Independent research reve¥ling that residents of almshouses can live up to 2.5 year5 longer in almshouses compar￿1 to thos •trow.. HRH Tb• Ouk• ot Glwc•st•r lriohtl It Glrton Town Chiiltu'• •￿Id-WITh￿l￿O P￿￿1¥￿￿J• •lm•hou d•v•lopm•ntln C•rnbrld04 vthh Itrom leftl Chwlty Chalr, Ann 8pnn•tl.. A••ocl•tlon CEQ Illrk PhlUlp• •nO A*8orl•tlon Ch•IrM•￿ WTlll• H•rtl•y Ru$8811. left.. R•M•rch Gmup •Xp￿TrO Hopton• Alm•houi• Southw•rk, London. marketing. PR. events, fundr81slng and engagernent ere second to Th)ne in their professionalism and commitment. We have 8 formidable team who wlll see thg Association develop and almshouses proparlu racognised gs the 8xempl8r form of community h¢uslng. The team wlll work with our members to protect and contlnLJe thls unique form of charltable houslng for the next century. Wg aro delighted that more housing chariligs ar8 converting to almshouses 8nd Joining the Association network to which theu are most welcome. Despite the gtrong dÈm8nd for Accommodation in almshouse DmmLJnitie5 and the or¢wlng aw8rene55 of the unique and lrnp8ctfJl n8ture of almshouse5,1 am saddened that no new almshouse charities have been established since 1983. We will persist In advocatlng lor change and 8im to establish è nèw oeneretion of almshouse$ addressing loc81 housing rEeds AlongsidÈ working with the Government lo support our memters. we continue lo strivg to provide the best servlce.. trainlno, guidance, help deGk, wèb support. st8nd8rds of Alm5hou5e M8nggernent guid8nce manu81, model policies and ternplates, legislation updalgs. semlnars and regionol meetings. We alweys rernember that The Almsh)use Associatlon was estab1I5hed by our membgrs lo provide support services. r815e the profile of almshouses, Influer￿8 policy end maintain proce55es. policies and standards on which members can fely. We are all focused on making the Ilveg of our trustees and clerks e8sier, to protect the charity status of almshouses snd raise 8lrnsh(xJses high in public and politlC81 awareness. Our members are our customers and we are committed to serving you so that you mey In turn support the residents of your almshouses. Nlck Phllllps Chlel Executlve of The Almshou58 Association Iivlng in similar forms ol housing. This u09r wa heid the flr9t ol our research workshops bringing together 8 group of people interested In 8lmshouse resÈarch from the UK'S top unlversltles, The Dunhill Medical Trust and acadgmlcs frcm overgeag. This has l¥J t) the develop- ment of furthèr research into the a1rn5house model for the future. Additlonal fundlng is still being sought lo 8dv8nce this irnporlant work. The Assocl8tion flnish9S yè8r in a swnd flnancial position. Investment vèluslions, which have been on somèthing of a roller coaster over the last lew years, closed in 8 good posltion. While fundraising remains e challenge, it is showing som8 51gns of improvemÈnt. The lundrelsing strstegu of working closely with our Vice P8lrons is provino to be a valuable approach. Almshouses ar£ arnong the lew organi58lions Ihal continue to operate in the s8me way they wera originally intended c&nturies ago. PrEserving the heritage of almshous&s 15 8n irnport8nt espect ol our strategu. Thè Association is working with key partners at The National Trust, Historic England, English Heritage, The Church Comrnissioners. The Duchy of Cornwall, The Grosvenor Estate aThJ many others to investigate matters such as emerglng EPC regulation5 and their Imp8Ct on old end Ilsted building5. Th8 Assoclation w85 created lo help make the lives or trustees easier. The Association staff are dedicated, proactive and innovative in thelr drive to support trustees and clerks. &Jr specialist t88m5 in finance, THE ALMSHOUSE ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP M•mb•rshlp Total rwmb8r of mpmb•rs Total numbor ol slt•s Memb•ws g•lnqdlllo•ilm•rq•rl 1,5S2 Member charltles 311271 18PWOXiFn8te flguresl Tot•1 dwelllngs Tot•1 r•sld?nts Charltl•$ wllh 4 w•rd•n 21324 31466 671 Charlty type Ch#r1t•b￿ eomynu Ilmlt•d by gu•r•nl•• Ch•rltabie In¢orpoi•t•d Oro•nl•atlon ICIOI Unlncorpor•l•d 46 103 1.403 Almshous85 wlth Ilstedlconservatlon area status R•gl•t•r•d Provld•rs 283 517 Almshouse charltles bu slze dw8llngs ovgr Ifl) 36 400 dw￿1￿￿5 51-100 61 dwdlngs 21-YJ 223 300 ¢J¥WIIknos 11-20 253 200 dwdlhos 6-10 37 dw8ilh 537 8S 61 35 dwelllnos 0 1LKI 2fKI ?00 IDQ soo 600 Grad8 ￿ Grats Il. Gr8J811 Con5ervatitsi Income at a glance 2024- total.. £1,268,016 2023 - total: E893.489 Glft¥ •Thd dun•tlons m M•mb•rÉ' 8ub•crlptlon¥ • oth•r Ch*r1t*b￿ •ctlvltl•8 11 Inv•stm•nt Incorn• E255.672 ox B9.182 21% £215.544 f7X £625.285 9% £36l210 40X £191161 22x 171.515 £14B.K18 17X 2024 2023 STRUCTURE. GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT OF THE ALMSHOUSE ASSOCIATION A I￿$￿0￿$r The AlmshDUSP Ass(Kiatlon Board is responsible for shaping and reviewing strstegy. The Board delÈgatÈs authority to d8ilv8r that strAtégy lo th? Chief Executive Offlcer and staff. The Bo8rd Is supported through Subcommittees that Include, Fin8nce 8nd General Purposes (chaired by Andrew BarnÉsl and Nomlnatlons (chaired by Paul Mulllsl. other Bpecial purpose subcommilts85 msu evolvè and be developed 10 8ddr8ss particular issues. The Board rpvl&vs the strategy in detail at the annual AwÉudau and considers the current strategic position. as well as new or developing risks. Now appolntees to the Board At the end of 2024, Rob Douglas stepped down frorn the B08rd after nlne years of dedicated service. Throughout his tenure he provided gre8t insight and imeoin8lion in solving challengas for the Association and its mèmbers. Rob served on variou5 Sutcommittees and, most notably, oversaw the Support to manu 81m5hou8e charities under Thè Leonard Hackett PAemorlal Trust whlch supports glmshouses 8$ 8 'truste$ of last resort,. Ov?r the next tew years, the Associ$tlon wlll see a rot8tion of truslges retire at thg end of their set term of ofllc8 It¥Jpically three terms of threè ue8rs1. In preparation, Paul MLJllis, Ch8irman of the Nominations Su1￿0MmItte8. was asked by the 808rd to develop 8 formal process for identifulno and recrultlng potenligl new trustees. After wlde-ranglNJ adverlislng carnpeign designed to ap￿91 lo dlverse wlent181 appllcants, we were overwhelmed with the quslity ènd scale of applications. A team from tho Nominatlons Subcommittee Intervlewed 8nd offered positions to six new truslegs of exceptlon81 calibre. These trustees wlll loin the Board 85 observers lor two meglings before committing to joln for the longer term. In sdditlon, the Nomin8tlons Committee and &08rd have b8en plè8s8d to appoint john Gr8h8m as tho Assoclatiw's new Treasurer with effect from tha AGld on 19 Junè 2025. John, torrr*rlu Finance Director 8t the Roual Brlllsh Legion and the NSPCC, is also gxpected to become a trustee. PUBLIC BENEFIT The Almshouse Association wa5 eslablish&J In 1916 to supp)rt elmshouse charitles in two fundamental w8yS'. ra1￿ thè profile of the almshouse model and support trustee5 in their role, The Assr￿latIOn Is also gI￿n the remlt to commission research, draft pollcles for members, set st8nd8rds to help memberg, develop temp18tes, c8rry out Irainlno, spe8k to and influence government ￿lItY where St irnpacts membèrs, rèpresent the alrnshouse movemènt throuoh public engagement. hold nEtworklng events, provlde gr8llts nd loans, raise Income through fundraiglng and Investments end support the malntenance of almshouse bulldings. The result of achieving this means that around 36,000 residents havè t*tter-informed and suppprled board5 of trustees runnlng almshouse charities. THE LEONARD HACKETT MEMORIAL TRUST Th• L•onard H8¢kett Mernorl•l Trust ILHklTI •x18tg to promote and advanc• th• ch8rltable work of Th• Almshou58 Assoclgtlon. It16 an Ind•p•nd8nt ch•rlly led by volunte•r Iru$tg08 wlth th• ml$•lon to gUPPOrt almshousg charltl88 that ar• fAlllno to d•llv•r sultoble homes to th•li re8ld•nts. LHMT ha$ been managlng th• cons•rvatlon ond refurblshrnent ol tho 17th C•ntUfU ¢h•rllu. Edmund S•wy•r Alrn$hou$•$ In KgtterSng. Followlno th• succossful compl•tlon or th• work, naw trust••s ar• b•lng sought. LHIAT18 currèntly r•vl•wlng how It can add groat•r Imp•ct foi ff*mber ¢h•rltl•$. p•rtl¢ularly locu$lno on th qrowlng number ot •mall ¢harItI￿ f•clng bulldlng •nd gov•rn•nc• ch•ll•ng•8. "LHMT has been the vlt81 trustoe ol18$t re$ort. Th1$ model may need to change to become more effectlvo •nd add èvan grèatèr Impact In the future." Trlcla Scouller. Chalr of Th• Leonard Hackett Memorlal Trust STATEMENT OF RISK Th• 8o•rd Is ultlm•t•ly r•spon$lble for 'rlsk'. Day-to-dau r•sponslblllty for rlsk 19 overseen by the Chl•l Executlve officer 8nd senlor staff gt Thg Alm$hou$• Assocl&tlon. but the 8o•rd malntalns a ko•n watch on the Rl$k R•glst•r. r8gul•rlu challenglng and revlewlno the hlghost prlorlty rl$ks. TlJ• R•g181or Is upd8tgd and r•vl•w•d 4t •v•ru Bo•id and Fln•ftce and G•nernl Purpa*•$ Subcommlttee meetlng. Thg Assocl•tlon'$ prlnclpal rlsk areas a5 follows.. Asp•ct K•¥ Rlsk D•Krlptlon Mitlg•tlon Op•r•tlon•l nformatio Technology. Utilising the Custorr*r Relatlonshlp Manaoèment system, wpbsitè an melntaining good communlcation with members through the webslle and èmaSls pL8CèS high degree of reliance on robust IT syslerns, IT support uutsourced to a spaclalist provider. Regular comrryJnlc8tlon vAth the IT provider. Cyber Essentl81s securitu process in Flace. Regul8r seEurlty l&sllng by IT support. Emergency back-up pl8n In place Op•i•tlon•l Procedural and Systems documantation. Lxk ol gwafeness of Pr￿edur¥S ond pollcias. The 808rd and staff h8V8 access to the ASs￿l8t10n's ￿￿1[CU docurnents. Ongolng ccrnpliance reviews. Regular review of ￿tiCIeS 8nd pr￿•JUr&s. Reaular sènior le&Yef8hip team m8etings. Loss of lundralsing and Investment In¢amg. Incom8 requlred to gjpport functlons. Subscriptlons hlslorlcally havg not covered operatlng costs. In¢reos8d demand on charit8ble trusts that f￿S on awarding grant5 to chartties. Awarding grants and loans lo ￿￿MberS in need will ba Influenced by our ability to replace funds. Fundraising Admlnlstrator engaging with donors and tru5t5. m$m￿rG. fe89 rwigwed to ensure the AS5￿18t￿on remains Ilnan¢ialL sust8in8bl8. R•put•tlon•l New and exlstlng Government pollw ImrBclSng Hloh level engagement with Peers. MPS gov6rnm8nt policl8s members 8nd the As50clatlon. ènd clvll servants. Olrect engagement negativelu Pollcles that may W88ken the wlth the *retaru of Statè. ImpBcling members. integrlty of the ¢h8Mtu model. Cleer key mess8g&s on trAh8lf of our memters. Consult wlth the Charttu Commlsslon lo engjre inteorfty of the 8lmshJus8 modd. R•pulatlon•l PDor memter charity governance. ember ch8ri1i8s not providlng gn acceptable St?rKl8rd of ?ccommodatlon and support their residents. embers not eng&Jing with support frorn th8 AssDclation. Poor goveTnarKe throuth 18ck of truste8S. Accredlted tr8inlng proJr8mme open to 851 MeM￿rg. Accredited Onli￿ tr8lnlnq. Focus on Nlentifying those members who might requir8 additionel support. De￿lopl[￿j support to attract n8W trust88S to the movement. STRATEGY TO 2030 The str8tegu to 2030 is regularly reviewed in detail bu the Board to assass the chsnglng needs of members and wider exlèrn81 èvents. The current stretegy has been tested and found to be sound, however 8 greater emphasig has been placed on 5UPPOrting charities in th8ir mission lo rècrult n6W trustees. This agpect has bèen driven by feedb8ck from members, p8rticu18rlu srn811er cherities in Th• Alm8hou2• AsM¢l•tlon Oo•rd of Trust¢•* •nd S•nior L8•d•r8hlp t•am at th• A¥soclotlon m8•t to plan • 50-yeJr str•t•g¥ lor •1rn6hou$•8 *t th• Innu￿ 84M¥d 8owdBn H*[¢ Glouc•st•r, In October 2024. ft to rlght.. A880clatlon CEQ Nlck PhlllJp& tnJ¥ti•¥.. Rob Dougl•4 Slmgn Lln& P•ul MulU4 MaryJ•r•t St•wart 0￿￿tIn Elffstorn John 8rouohton. Trkl• Scoull•r. Llz FathL Éxgcutlvo A561st8nt to CEq W•tor4 tr￿t••ts.. AThJr•w ?4rn•& Arlam S•dgwlck. Wllll• H•rtl•u Ru8••N ICh•lmMnL O•¥ldH•4l•kt •nd AuLKl•tlon Hud ol Fln•w Allk• Or•k•. rur81 are8s who contlnue to struggle to recruit new trustees B8sed on Inform81ion reFurled in Mernbar ChBrlty Health Checks, insufficiènt rÉcruitm¢nt of skilled trustees continues to pose the grestest threat to the 5us18ln8bility of many chsrities. Wp heve been tasked wllh supporting membèrs strangthgnlng th8lr recrultment process. Other key features ol the strategy, as reviewed Ihls year, includes tha addllion of a new CPD accredited recruitment workshop, wider engagement with philanthropu to sèè naw èlmshousé ch8ritlès èstablish8d. upgr8ding and simplitying access to Standards of Almshouse Management, d*p?nlng Influence with local government and arnen¢Jlng the National Plannlng Pollcu Framework to Include 8lmshouses in the delinitlon of atlordable housing. It was recognis8d Ihsl the follDwlng 85pects of the strategy remaln imporlenl but yet to be gchieved.. Codg of Conduct launch. targéted proflle raising and incrèased support for charltieg hoidlnq hlslorlc bulldSngF, POLICY AND ENGAGEMENT The move of the Government over the 1851 five years ha5 been towards gre8ter regul81ion of the housing sector. Alrnshouses gre, flrst snd forem¢sl, rharities and are governed by the rlgorous guidance of the Charlty Commission. As would t* expected, almshouses are subject to all the standard Ilre and health and safetu regulations. We have worked wllh the Government to tru to amend the Ngtlongl Pl8nnlng Policy Fr8mework lo includè almshtsusè$ as a recognlsed form ol allordable houslng. Thls Iram8- work is t8ken 8s a defining statement by loc81 government in supporting aflordable housing with Section 106 funds and oltrer locel government pollcles such as Selectlve Llcenslno. Since almshDuses ere the oldest forrn of affordable hJJsing, il s•èm5 unreoson8ble tor our members lo be excluded. Following the introduction of the Social Houslng Act 2023. the Implicstions for member5 who have become Registered Provldeis (Rsgu￿te￿j havè bèen slgnificanl. Th& Act requires all serylcè providers, which include clerks, to become qualitied to d£greè lèvèl In a Chartered Institute ol Housing qualification and tor dirèctor5 to lake a rnore strategic based housing qualSficatlon. WÈ hsvÉ worked hard with the leBm in Government Nlck Phllllm CEO wlth N•ll Coul¢ developing the guldance around Ihls pollcu to seèk a sènsiblè èxemption IAP lor 8•rmondgw énd Old Southw•rk lor tru51ees and clerks of small almshouse ch8rilies, •t th• HOU$￿ of Parllam•nt. The qualification rgquirptnent 18 disproportionate for all but a few almshouse charities and does not include a module mflecting the running of 8 charity. We await the outcome of the con5ultatlon,' wè are hopeful that our involvemènt has lèd to a review ol the 'no exemptiorf st8tement in the Act. Our work with Dther consullalions on behslf ot members is lime-consumSng but essentl81 If we are to protact the charity model of almshovs8S. We have deYelDFEd strong partnership alliances in our work 8nd we are supwrted by Peer5 and other organisations. The National Hovslng Federation, Housing LIN, the Cherity Comm1> sion, The Regulator of Social Housing, the Hwsing OmbJd5man S8rvlc8, England. ACRE 8nd RABI h8ve all worked to supwrt The Alrnshouse Assoclation in ch8rnpioning our members. Nlck Phllllp4 CEO •nd Jullan M•rrzaL He8d of Member S$rvlc•$ r8n tr•lnlng 4l•y on •1m$l￿Se governonce for ChArttu Commlsslon at•ff. OUR SERVICES Member enqulries and support Guldlng and supportlng our members on a broad range of toplcs hAember almshouse charities email or telephone The Almshouse Association for guidènee on issues theu fece in tf*ir d8iJ-lo-day running on a wide range Df subjects from governance to rèsldÉnt Issues as well as properlu and energy matters. In cases where Members rsquirs spocialisl professlonal advice, the servic?s ot our Panel ol Consultants are cslled ￿￿n. Th8 Association's Sland8rds of Almshouse Menegernent IS V81ued by the mgmbership as a key reterence menu&l, along with our Model policlÈs and templates. These are regU￿rIY revlewed to ensure they are up-lo-datg with new and ch$nglng Iggislalion and contlnue to meet the needs ol our members. 8lntalning close, on-goinll communl¢8tion with our membershlp Is prl¢rity. Great Imporlgnce is placed on the Assoclation's website, rnemb8rs forum, The Almshouses Gazette end 8-bulletSns. ToJether they provide 8 cornprehenslvtr range ol Inform£lion and guidence on which our members relu. Our 188m ol Regiongl Psar Repr8sont8tlves providas additional support by visiliThJ ch8ritie5 and actlng as a vital link trElween membèrs and tho Association The Association recognises the signltlC8nt ch811enues fsced by some charitles, Inclu¢Jing difficulties in rècruiting trustees, securing f¢Jndlng, and eddressing the malnten8nce ol aaeing buildings. We are aware these orpènisations rgquirg additionel support, although limited cèpBcity or a lack of IT skills within 8 lew charlties can make enaeoement and assistance more cornplex tg8m works with the trustee5 to help turn the charity round to sustainable future and to help 889e the worry of the trustees. Mernbershlp enquirle5 bu type., Accommodatlon Fin•nc• Oov•rn•n¢• H8•lth & S•f•ty L•nd & Bulldlngs Lo•n8 & Gr•nt• Pollc1•9 Resld•nts stiff oth•r 560 173 351 53 116 152 389 155 1.721 Tot•1 •nqulrl•$ r•c•lv•d In 2024 1861 Gazette Gazette Gazelle Gazette Member charlty health checks Supportlng the smooth and efflclent runnlng of almshouse charltles 232 charltu health checks 41 slte vl8lts ember Cherily Heelth Check5, togpther with guidance notes, were introduted to assist members in measuring and monitoring thèir performance. F*d￿￿k is provided In the form ol a short report to each charltu wlth the bAember Services te8m on h8nd to providè one-to-one assistance. It is encouraging to see the positive Imp* this is making to our mernbers. 55 charities are currentlu receiving additional guidance frorn the Assoclation and with wr support In 2024, 76 cherities have once 898in becDmé successful. well-governed ch8rities. It is the Associ8tion's goal that all member charities are successful and well-govèfned by 2030. Tralnlng and events Dellverlng tallored tralnlng for almshouse charltles and connectlng trustees, clerks. CEOS and wardens Our CPD-accredited 'The AlmslK)use Way. course. which provides training for trustees and clerks, as well as those wishing lo u￿ate I￿1r knowledag, continues to be popular wlth most courses oversubscribed. Thè coursè hes beèn run across the country from Hartlepool to Redruth èn(J Abergele to Maidslone and, in rèsponse to demand. 20 more courses a￿ planned for 2025. Semlnars f¢r tru5tpes end clerks were held in Dxford, Tunbridge Wells, Leicester ènd Shrewsbury. R8olonsl K4eetlngs. whlch were elso held across the country, conllnue to be populer Further Support for members Is providgd through webinars, which in 2021 covered a rango ol topics including safeguardlna, The Charities Act 2022, setting asidg rosld8nts' appointmènts, mexim15ing weekly maintenance contrlbutions gn updating antl modernlslng govgrning documents A new CPD-8¢credlted'Trustee Recrultrnent Workshop, was launched at the beginning of 2025 guidlng members through 8 robust rgcruitmènt process The workshop allo￿ trustoes to dpvelop more larget£d recruitment pl8n to lind those 441 8luslvg trustees with 8 renge ol skills. knowledge and expBrlenc8S Ih8t will help maln18in and strengthen almshouse charities Into th8 futur9. ss 25 Th• Alm•hou8• Way cours•s wlth 380 •tt•ndw• 4 s•mln•rg wlth 141 attende•• 5 r•glonal m••tlnq• lora•nl$•d tyj th• As•ocl•- Ilonl wlth 108 attend••• 5 w•blfi•r• wllh 638 •tt•ndM• 1,200 onlln• tr•lnlng courn•g compl¢t•d These various courses and events highlight the extent lo whlch trustees. clerks and scheme managers value the opportunity to network and share common Sssues, To this end, the Assoclation rem8ins committed to org8nlslThJ such events in thè future. Th• Alm•hou8• Wau tr•lnInq •t st O•¥ R•drutt¥ Comw•ll1gLwl In S•pt•mb•i 2024 ind •t Ab•r0￿4 North W•l•i Ibelowl In lun• 2024. Grants and loans Flnanclally asslstlng wlth the cost of rep8lrs. remodelllng, refurbishlng and bulldlng new almshouses The Almshouse Ass￿l8t10n offers qrents ot up to E2S.000 to member charlties that are in urgent need of fln8nci91 gJPPOrt and who would be un8ble to afford to repay a108n. L08ns ol between £25,001 gnd £1th),000 can also bo 8ppll8d (or. All 108ns ara rep$yablo ovttr S 10-uè8r period end are offered On an Interest-free basis. Apert from a one-off administration fee calcu18ted 8t 5% of th8 amount ioanod, whlch is pald as part of th8 loan Instalment repayments, thore afg no other costs attached. Grants tot•lllng £60.000 •ward•d to 3 member charltl•s Lo•ns totalllng £813,667 avMrd•d to 13 m•mbor ¢harltl•¥ Grants mado bu The Almshouse Assoclatlon In 2024 Ab•fqwyngw•gun Alm•hou*• Chirlty Gwyn•dd l•sus Hospltal Kant Lawrence Shefirt Alm%hou8•$ Warwlckghlre Th• Elbwrn IA•morlo1 Houilng Tru*t £10.OOD 2,000 £2S.000 t25,OOD Abovf.. L•wr•n¢• Sh•rlfl Alm•hots1•¢ Rugby c•lv•d a grant to wpport •nibllno work• prlor to th• rnmod•fiinp ol th•li 11 •lrnBhouB•B. 8glow.. Th• Earl of sout￿MM0n Tnmt r•c•lv•d • lo•n to •uppor¢ th• eonv•rslon of • ground floor d•y room, no long•r In u••. to • on•-b•drogm •lm9houi•. Insurance M•mb8r• 8r• dlglbl• to loln th• compr8h•nslv• •lmshous• Insuv•nc• sch•m• •dmlnlstered by two m•ln brok•r•'. fjrout InsuMnc• Brok•rs Llmlled IGroull. whlch18 ￿rt of the g•n•t•ct Group. who$• •lmghou$¥ poll¢lg$ •re und•r- wrltt•n bu Rouql & Sun AKI•wK• InwJr•nc• Ltd IRSAJ Loans made bu The Almshous• As$ocl•tlon In 2024 Charlly of Thomas Amphlèti North8mptonshlr• £S,3 Or R•dc1111*8 Almshouge Oxlord5hire f42.000 Rowl•nd Hlll •nd V*ugh•n Alm$￿U¥• ¢harlly Wddle$ex £15.528 Sh•pp•rd's Almshous•8 Hampshire £105000 The Almshou6• c￿rItY of Slr John ONi•y st•ffordshlr• E5I5QO Th? Berry Houslng Trust Kent £24250 Th• Ch•rlty of Sarah Barnard Essex £2Q2SO Th• Eart ol Soulh•mpton Tr￿t Hampshlre £w&ooo The Elbryjrn M•mori•l Hou51ng Trust Hertfortshlro E?&7SO The Frart& G•èrlfto Almshws• CMrftu OxlDrd6hlrn E51.352 The lam86 Charltle$ Blrmlngh¥m £74550 Th• Wllll•m Holm•$ Aimghoug•S Derby5hlre £52,500 Thums Whit• t￿tage Homes120161 Ch8rlty WoTcester5hlre £1303 Vlscount•5s B*￿Ingtorf1 Homes for Di5adv8ntaaed Ex-S8rvl¢• P•rsonMI CIO Brown & Brown Ipr￿lOUS1Y Hloos In$urancg Servlc•s Llmlt•d prlor to It$ rebr4ndlng on 3 March 20251, whou pollclas or8 und•rwrltten by Etel•$l4$tlc Insuranc• Offlco plc. Durlng Ihe u•4r, Tho Alm$htyJsg Agsocl?tlon r8c•lv8d donatlons 01 £30,000 Irom Grout. E30.0 from RSA •nd £2Q836 from Brown & Brown. Wlllghlr E105.000 12 Supporting the almshouse movement Spreading the word In 202£, The Almshouse A550C18tion secured oood coverage in n8tional and regionalliocal press, surpassing 2023 achièvements and reflecting growing awareness of the movement. The Assoclstion CEO was also called upon by TV channels to act as th8 spokespèrson foi alrnshcuses on tOPlCS such 85 50c181 hou51ng, the affordable hausing crisis 8nd'retired and rentina,. Publlclty •98C On• Mornlng L￿• • Ch•nn•l 5 • ITV London N•w• • Th• Tlrrffls • Th• T•l•grnph • Fln•n¢lal • Norfolk Lif• • Country Llf• • In•ld• Hou8lnq Nlck PhlHlp4 CEO on BBC On• MpFnlni LIM 10 S•pt•mb•r 2024 G8inlng recognltlon and support Oui soclal m•dla accounts have 9?en 6 h•althy gfowth In lollowers. Thay contlnu• to be a gre•t pl•tform, not onlu lor hlohllghtlng almshou6• ch•rltu n•ws 8nd slorl•s 4nd •ng•glng wlth MP$ •nd $ectDr 1•4ders, but also for camp•lgns such •8 'WIII You'11oqocle•l. tru8t•• recrultm•nl, Natlonal Pi•nnlng Pollcu Fr•m•work eh•nq•s, and communl¢•tlng th8 A88ocl•llon'$ comm•nt$ on houslng and leglslallorb. • W?bslte us•rs In 2024 - 81.000 Llnk•dln - 49% Incr••8e In lollowers • W•bilt• vl•ws In 2024- 521,000 • F•c•book - 27% Incrgase In follow•rs In6tagr•m - 17% Incr•8se In follow•is P41 Engagement and promotlon WE have tracked growlng Interest In almshouses through Increased wèbglte vSslls and posltlvè leÉdb8ck from members on our supportivè CDntent. We 6xpèri8nced 8 75% intrèase in thÈ numbér of Visitors to our webslte after our 88C One intèrview on how almshouses are providlng affordable homes for older people. Members of the publlc wlshlng to flnd out sbout almshouses or the AssDCi8tlon need unlu tupe the WDrd 'almshouses' into thelr sèarch englnÈ and The Almshouse As50Cl8tion can conslstently be found on page one of browser segrchgs. Th1$ is givlng greater recognition for our brandlng. W• ore •ctSvelu ancouraglng m•mbers to us• Tho Almshous• A$4oclatlon Member loao on th8lr wèbsltes. soclel medla, promotlonal materlal or statloneru. It Is Important to us that our logo represents • shared sense of communlty reflectlng our commltment lo excellence 8nd th• prlde we 811 take In our oll•ctlv8 mlsslon to.. K4EM8ER 'Create affordable, warm and safe homes in friendly communities for people in housing need. preserve the legacies of the almshouse movement and protect our national heritage.. 13 Supporting the almshouse movement Ambassadors Our Arnbass8dors are a great support to the team here at the Assoclation in our ongDing quest to ralse the profile ol the almshouse movement. We were thrllled to have Peter Barton 18ke p8rt in our special summer vent at The Chaiterhouse as well as the inclusion of his insightful articlè In the Autumn Friend5 N8wsletler where he sha￿d his appreciation for the heritage and communlty spirit of almshouses Ambassador, Simon Smlth continued to deliver his renowned talks on almshousés throughout 2024. Alm$houi• A•iocl•tlon Arnb8659dor. Slmon Smlth •t th• Wloglftton Hl*ttrru so¢l•t￿ H•rt4 Aprti 2024. Royal vlslts Cxjr Roug1 Vice Patron, HRH The Duke of Gl(yJcester demonslratad thg Roual Famlly's commltment lo almshouses through two Slgniflcanl visits Qlrton Town Charlly's innovative Passivh8US-Standard development and The Poland Trust's Pcland Meadow, a new deve5opment that supports Ioc81 Young families thruuoh ¢onated18nd and innovatlvg fundina. Both shlne 8 Ilghl on the progressiveness of the almshouse movgment and underllne thtr importance of phllanthropu. rilll 11 H17H Tho Ouko of 61oucwt•r •nJc¥•d t•q and c•k•• wlth gu••t• Jurlny a vlilt to Glrton Town h•rlty •lm*houM4 Juh• 2 Youno tamlll•s wer• •xclt•d to m••t th• Ouk• wh•n h• vl*lt•d th•lr hom•• 4t W•nd Al••dow, S•pt•mbw 202& Galnlng support Phllanthroplc glvlng and g8neralional legecies pl8U6d an important role in our engsgement str8tegu for 2024. Durlng the summèr, The Almshouse Association brought together $ gr(￿p of distlngulshed guest8 8t The Ch8rt8rhcuse In London lor an efternoon of inspirational talk5 Imm phllanthroplsts, charlty CEOS and 81mshouse residents. Their words unders¢or&d thè almshouse movement's direction lor the future and hlghlightèd how almshouses h8ve profoundly changed people's lives. The event sparked renewed intere51 In partnering with thè Assoclation to relse awareness and support futurè dévèlopments. Established in Novembpr 2023, our Friends ot The Almshouse A5SOClation club Is growing and bringing tooethèr Indivlduals who all share e p855ion for almsh(xJses. In 2024, our friends were given two behind-thg-scenes almshouse tour5 8fKI two issue5 of our Friends in Alms newsletter. We also expanded ou( scopg to include Corporate Friends and were pie85ed to welcome two businesses intD our urowing community. left.. rh• Charterhou8¢ London. right.. Alm$hgus• A$$oclatlon Frt•nds tour. Alorden Coll•o4 Oc*ob•r 2024. Fundralslng and legacy programme We rn8de good pr¢yJress in our fundralslng efforts In 2024. We fcrused on broadening our outreach to new trusts and foundatlDns, resulting in more funding aptAications. This 8ppra8ch has helped raise awareness of the crltlcal work The Almshouse Associatlon undÈrtak* 8nd, elong With the continued gener051ty of existing donors. hss contrlbuted to a more su5t8in8ble fundlng base. We havg also orDwn Vice Patron network of Influentl81 supporters to help adv8nce our fundraising efforts and strengthèn our reach. Our legacy cgrnpaign continues eThl we grè seeking to encourage people to support the Associat￿n wlth e bequest. These futur8 contri￿tIonS will be pivotèl ￿n securing the long-term futurè of thè AssociÈtlorf5 loans and grants prograrnme. allowing us to continue to 8SSlSt member charities in maintaining and improving th8ir 8lmshoLJses and ensuring our work berEfits future generations. Research The Almshouse A5SOCl8tlon's InaL￿ural Research Workshop In JaNJ8ry 2024 confirrned the growing interest in th& almshouse model and Its positlve Impact on r?5idents. Over 30 researchers from 8cross the LIK and Europe explore(J k8y toplcs, includi architecturè. community dyn8mics, historu and the role of govèrnancè In resldents, wellbeing. The outcome w8s an aoreement on further research to Strengthen evidence SUp￿rtIng almshouses, 8idlno thair eXpans￿n and Infiuenclng pollcy. ••••r¢h Work•hoA i•hu4ry 2024. The Great Almshouse Census allowlng us to speak wlth conlldence and authorltu about the almshous• movement Our enoegement wllh MPS, councSllors, Peers, pl8nngrs 8nd the press has sh¢)wn The Almshouse Associatlon that robu6t data Is cruc181 to support our campalgns lo preserve the unique ch8r8cter of alrn5hou5es and ensure they are recognlsed bu the Governrnent 85 8 genuine lorrn ol affordable houslng. Addilionallu, wé must contlnue evolving our services to 8ddre55 both current and future needs - slmpllfulng thè roias of Irust8É5 and clerks while, In collaboration with our rnerntErs, sheping 8 Sustainable, long-t8rm vislon. To speak wlth confid8nce about the 81rnshouse mod61 and thosg It serves, we ne9dèd lo undertake 8n almshousa cgnsus, somethlng we do not belleve had ever been gttempt8d SI￿& thè glm$hpuse movèmant began over thousand ypars 8go. So, Iow8rds the ènd 012023. we sènt out our first cpn5us questionnèlro, 11 was Important we recelved responses trom as m8nu 81mshouse chèrltles as possible - bla. small, Dld and n8W. Wa usèd èll means ol communlcatlon avallgble lo us - post, em811, webslte, flyers, meeting5, Irainlro seminars, telepho￿ and, after six months. we had recelved r8skh)nses from 50% of our membershlp. 100'A would hwe gSven us the perfect picture bul 9)% h85 given u5 a go￿ indicator of where we Stand and where we need to L*. M•nu th8nk# to •ll the alm$hous8 charltlés who support•d thls Important c8mp819n. What the census showed us • Malorltu of trust••g •r• •g•d b•tween 80-80. pr•s•ntatlon from all but on• •thnlc group on tru¥t•• board•. • Re8Sd•nt• Irom all •thnlc groups Ilv• In alm8house8. • Most common benfyflclaru condltlons were Ilnancl•l need and Ilvlnq locally. • 50% of almshouse charltle$ havo elght or lfrw•r dw•lllngs. • We•klu Malntenance Contrlbutlons for a 1-bedroom almshou8• dw•lllng range from £124 to £143. On average, ther8 hav• bwn 100 set 951des a yeAr. 72% due to the resldent no longer belng able to Ilvo Independently and In 28% of ¢8se$ the re•sons clted were arre•rs or antlsoclal behavlour. • 6X of Chalrs pr•dl¢t•d th•t In the next ten ue•rs th•lr charltu wlll •lth•r hav• m•rged or cloud. • Approxlrnatelu 1.100 unlts af• plannéd to b• bullt In the next flve Years. 15 FINANCIAL REVIEW 2024 Overview 2024 2023 ncome to cover some of the shDrtfall between members, subscriptions and the annuel cost of running the Associ8tion. A designated terminal reserve fund of £460,000, equ81 to about half the total annual expenditure. is held lo cover the cost of any liabilities Érising in th8 8vent of the termination ol activiti8S The ASS(￿lation'S Strategy Plan on p8ge 9 sets out the Associatiorfs plans to enhance the support provided to member charities and to develop services During the uear £25,972 0¢ the reserve w85 Utilised, le8ving a reserve ba19nce of £305,521. The remainder of the unrestricted funds constitute the Association's freè reserves, which amount8d lo £327,588 and is less than four month's running costs. During the yegr. the Association 8¢quired 8 new slte in Windsor which, Including 8ssociated professional fees, 8mounled to £1.543,295. In these financial statements the building lo be occupied by the Association has been Included in tangible fixed assets 8mountlng to £777,430 and the building that will be Bvaileble ID b& sub-let hes been included in investment pro￿rtIeS 8rnounting to £765,865. During 2025 the Wind50r slte will be refurbisheo and once slafl have t*en relocated, the 8X15ting Woklngham slte will be sold. Incomo 1R6&016 891469 Exp•ndllut• 1112&7951 11.03S9071 N•t Incom•ll•xF•ndltur•l bolor• Inv•%lwMnt g•ln 14l221 114U381 The Statement of Financial Actlvities shows th8t The Almshouse Associatlon's net Income bafore nvestment qalns for 2024 was £142,22112023 net loss £142,138). Nèt gèlns on Invastrrenls Omountgd to £B87,12412023 £870,3561. Total funds as al 31 Oecember 2024 were E13,701,678 12023 £12,672,333) divldsd bètwèen unrèstrlcted, restrlcled and endowment fvnds. 01 th81 tot81. £9,254,S2212023 £9,159,86011s invested in varioLJS lorms and E3,483,S1212023 E3,277,2761 had been lent lo member ch8rllie5. Nét Income before Investment galns was £114,530 in rgspact ol unrestrlct8d funds, net income of £25.127 re181ing to restr￿ted funds 8nd income of £2,564 In respect ol endowmènt funds. Totsl income of £1,268,016 w85 up 41,9% prlm8rily dua to an increase in hAembers' gJbscripllons up £263,067 on last uear and additional public lundr8ising of £66,200. Dividend5 receivable Irom investments were up 10.SY. due to a recoveru in dlvidend yields on the Assoclaliorfs investmgnts. 2023 had teen 8ffeeted bu thè cost ol Ilving erisls and Èn increese In en9rgu prlces due to the w8r in Ukraing. Tot81 expeTrJilure of £1,125.795 wes 8.7% hloher than the previoJs gear mslnlu due to an Increase in staff costs to support msmber sarvlces and professlonBI fees to support the almshouse rnovement in parliam8nt8N and 5tatutoru law discussions. There continued lo be a high level of grant and Ican application5 from members, a5 members look￿ to impwove or develop almshouse5 lollDwing a slowdown in work during the Covid paThYemic Restrlcted funds Income from 811 sources emounted to £208.96412023 158,8301. this incrgase w85 prlm$rilu duè to hlgher publi¢ fundraislrYJ donatlons, Pestricted funds are held lo provide108ns and gr8nts to member ¢hèritlgs lor glmstrDu5e improvement or dÉvgloprnent. As set out in Note 9 to the tin8nCI81 statements, some of thesè funds ar9 lor specified elm5house5, groups of almshouses and region5, wllh thè remainder 8vallsble to all rr*mbers. EndDwmenl fLJnds are held to provide income for speclfic purposès. Lo8ns and grants are provided lo members when other sources of funding have been fully explored Thp poliry Is that loans are interest-free snd generally rep8ysble over a 10-year periad, and grants of up to £25,ODO a reserved for those charities that 18ck the resources to undertake 8 108n. A key objective of the Assoclatlon's fundraising campgign is to increase the level ol reslricled funds from whl¢h loans and grants are made. In 2024, £745,38012023 E777,7671 was 8dvanced In new loans and at the end of thè year the total value of loans provided and outst8ndlng was £3,463,512. This figure includes en administration fee of SX whlch is added to offset sorne of the Assotiation's costs. The totgl grants made in 2024 were £73,815 compared wlth f 54.S90 in 2023. Unrestrlcted funds Unrestricted funds ère those 8vellable for 8nu purpose consistent with the Association's objectiv85. Income from 811 sources amounted to £1,056,488 12023 £732.4201,. 59°A was derived from members, 5ubscriptlQn5, 12% from publi¢ fundraising, 10°A from investment income and the balance raised mainly through services to member charities. Reserves are held to ensure continuity of serv1ce to members and to provide investment income. A designated investment fund which 8mountetJ to £2,767.691 on 31 December 2024 w95 held to generat8 16 Investment policy and performance Trustees. Responsibilities statement Wavèrton m8nag85 the inVest￿nt funds for tha Assoclatiori 8S 8 single amalgamated fun comprlsing the Invested portion of unrestricted. restricted and endowment funds. During the uegr, the maikat v£iue of investments generally Inci6ased wlth improved investor confidence os Inflatlon r&ttrs reduced and with the prospsct of higher investment ieturn5. Overall, there w8S an inv¢slmwt )8in of £887,124 or 10.5% for tha ygar. Det8ils ar8 shown in Note 6. Investmènts also generated £215,544 ol divi¢Jend and other investment income, whlch was £22.383 hloh8r th8n the prevlous y88r malnly due to an Increase In dividend yl8lds. Restricted funds not uel allocgted to Interest-free IE)8ns for members are held 89 Investments or on 5hcrt-terrn cash dep)slts to the extant thèt the are required tor luture108ns to our member charitles. Of th8 total unullllsgd restrlct&J funds of £4,123.663 as at 31 Decern￿r 2024. approxlmately 4Y• was held In the form of c$sh dpposlts end the remainder held in th8 discr8tlonaru rnan￿ed p)rtfolio. We continue lo pursue 8 bal8nc8d investment strategy which has helped to mltlggle 3galn51 fin8ncial market volatllity. The Assoc181ion has str8teg￿S in place lo man898 Its shtsrt-lerm cash needs and takes a lono-tarm view of its inv8Strnents. The trustees of Tke Alrnshouse Association Ithe 'charitable company'l for the purposes of company law, are responsible for preparing the trustees, report and the tlnancial statements In atcordance with applicable law and rsgulations. Company law reoulres the trustees to prepare linanc181 statements for each financial year. Under that law. thè trustees have elected to prepere the linencial ststèrnents in accordsnce with Unlte(J KingdDm Generglly Accepted AccountirwJ Pr8Ctice Iunited Kingdom Accounting Standards anrj appllcable lawl. UrKler cotnpanu 18W the trustees must not approve the financial statements unless Ihgy are satisfied that they givg a true gnd Iglr view of the state of 8fl8lfS of the charitable comp8nu and of the income and expandltura of the charltablè company for that perlod. In preparing these flnenci815tatements, the Iruste8s arg raquir&d to,, select suitable 8ccounting policies and than apply them consistently,. make judgements and estlm8tes Ihet gre r88sonablè 8nd prud8nt.. • stata whether applltablp UK Accountlng Standards have been followed, Subject lo &nu m8teri81 dep8rtures dlsclosed and explaingd in the fin8ncl81 slalements,. gnd prepare the fln8ncl81 statements on the golnp concern b8sis unless it Is inappropri8te to presum8 th81 the comp8ny will continue in business. Th* trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting recor¢Js Ihal are sufliclenl lo show and explaln the charitable company's transactions 8nd d15clase with reasonablè accuracy sl tlme the Ilnancial position of thè ttsmpany and eneble them to ensure th8t the Ilnanci81 statements complu with the Companles Act 2006, the Charities 8nd Trustee Investment Iscotlandl Act 2005 8nd th8 Charities Accounts IScotl8ndl Regul8tions 2006. Théy 8re also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for t8king re850nable steps lor th8 prevention end detection of fr8ud and other irregularitles, The Irusteeg are responsiblè for thè malntenan¢e end intggrily or the corporate and fin8nclal informstion included on the charilabie company's website. Leglslation n th8 United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemin8tion ol financial stetements mau differ from legisiatlon In other lurisdictlons. Plans for future perlods In fesponse to cost of living and legislstlve changes, the Association continues to review its 8clivilies proactlveiu lo ensure continued support to members. The trustees h8ve reviewed its rlsks and cancluded th8t given the charity's flnancial and opÉr$tion81 posllion.11 can contlnue to SUPPDrt dm5houses now and for the forgseeeble future. IAr Slmon J Llnp FCA Honorary Tre89Jrer Mr R D Harti•u Ru$sg11 Chairm8n Mr A B•rn•s TTUStee 17 AUDITOR'S REPORT Independent audltor's report to members of The Almshouse Assoclatlon Oplnlon W• hv• audltad th• flnanclal stat•m•nti ol Th• Almshou•• Assocl•tlon Ilh•'chaflt•bl• camponu'l for the year ended 31 D•cemb•r 2024 whlch comprl8è the 8t•l•m•nt ol Ilnancl•l actlvllleB, Iho balanc• sh••( ond slatemgnt ol c•$h Ilow& th• pflnclp•l •ccountlng pol1cl￿ and thA not•s to th• flnanclal 8t•l•m•nt6. The fin&ncl¥LI r•portlng fr•m•work that h•• b••n •pplled In th8lr pr•par•tlon 18 lppl1cab￿ law ond Unlt•d Klngdom A¢countlng St•nd•rdi. Includlno FIn•l￿1￿ R•portlng Sland•rd 102'Th• Flnancljl R•portlnq Standard appllcabl• In t UK and R•wbllc of Ir•i•nd' IUnll•d Klngdom O•Mr•lly Acc•pt•d Accauntlrwj Proctl¢•l. In our oplnlon. th• fln•ncl•l 8t•t•m•nts.. • lllv• • tru• •nd l•lr vl•w of th• $14t• of th• ch•ilt•tsl• comp•ny'• •ff•lrg •$ •1310•c•mb?r 2024 ond of Iti Incom• •nd •xp•ndltur• lor th• y••T th•n •nd•d; • h•v• b••n prop•rly pr•p•Md In accoid•nc• wlth Vnlt•d Klngdom G4n•r4ily Ace•pt•d Accountlng Pr•cllc•.' 8nd • hav• b••n pr•p•rgd In •ccord•ne• wllh th• r•qulr•m•nt¥ of th• Comp•nl•• Aet 2008. B•81$ for oplnlon We conducted our eudlt In occord8nce wlth International Standards cn AudltSn9 IUKI IISAS IUKII and applicablelgw. Our res￿nSIbIlitieS under those standards are further d8scrib9d In the eudllor's reS￿￿51b11itles for the wdlt of thè financl81 statements sectlon of our report. We are indeFendent of thè ch8ril8ble compenu In accordancg with thè ethlc81 requirernents that ar8 relevgnt to our audit of the fln9nci&l slglements In the UK, Ineludlng th8 FRC'8 Ethical Standard, and we hav8 fulfilled our other ethical responslbilities In 8c¢crd8n¢e wlth these requlremenls. We believe that the audll evldence we hgve ¢btalned Is sufftlent end $pproprl8t6 to provido 8 b8sis for our oplnlon. Conclu¥lon8 relatlng to golng concern In 8uditirrfJ the flnenclel st8temenls. wè h￿? concluded that the truste8s' use of the going concern basis of 8ccountlng in the prgparÉtlon of the financi81 statements Is appropri81p. B85ed on the work we hgve performed, we have not Idenllfl8d anu m8ter181 uncert81nlies rel81ing to events or condltions that, individually or collectively, mau c85t significant doubl on the ch811table comp8nU'S abilltu to contlnu8 as a going concern for a Ferlod of et leèst twelve month5 from when the flnancial stalernents ere authorised for issue. Ouf responsibllities and the respjnslbilities of the trustees with respect to golng concern are describaj in the re(evant sectlons ot thls report. Our responsibllltu IF to road the other informtion end. in doing 50, consider whèth8r the other information Is materi911u Inconsist8nt with thè flnanclal statements, or our kn¢wledge obtalned in the course of thè 8udlt or otherwise appeers to bo maler1811u missteted. If we Idgnllfy such malerlal Inconslstencias or apparanl m8terial m15St8tements, we 8re required to d8termlne wh8ther thls glves rlse lo a materlal misstatement in the fin8nci81 sl8lem8nts Ihernsplves. If. b8se¢ on the WDrk we hav8 parformad, we ccnclude thet ther8 16 8 matefiel mlsstaternenl ol this other Information, wg 8re requifed to report Ih8t ts¢t. We h8ve nothlng lo report In thls rggard. Oplnlons on oth•r matters pr•scrlb•d bu the Companlè$ Act 2006 In our opinion, based ¢y) the w￿k undert8ken in the course of the audit.. the Inform8tion givèn in thè trusleas, report, which 1$ also thè dlreclors, rep¢rt for the purp￿e9 01 cornpeny18w. fc¢ the flnanciBI year for which th8 financial st8temenls are prepared is consistent wlth the fin8nci81 s18t8mentS,' 8r the trustees. ieport, whlch Is elso the directws, report for the pur￿se5 of companu law, has b88n prepar£d Sn 8¢cordènce wlth 8ppllcable18gal r￿uIrementS. atters on whlch we are requlred to report by exc8ptlon In the light ot knowledge 8nd understandlng of the charitable ¢ompgnu end its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we h8ve not IdentS1ied malerla misstatements In the tru5teps' report, We have nothlng to report in respect of the following matters in reiotion to whlch the Companies Act 2006 requlres us to report to you if, in our opinljn.. equ8te accountlng records have not kep¢ or teturns gdequ8te for our audit have not teen received from branches not visited by us.. or the financial StBte￿ntS ere not In agreemnt wlth the occountlng records and returns." or other Informatlon The other information comprises the inform8tion Included in the 8nnu81 report and finar￿181 statements, other than th• finan¢i•l stgtements and our auditcf's rèport therec￿. The trustees are resFonsibie for the other Inforrnstion contained within the annu81 report 8nd fln8ncl81 statements. Dur opinion on the financial state￿ntS dDe5 not cover the other Informatlon and, except to th8 extent otherwise èxpllcitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurÉnce conclusion thweon. 18 certain disclosures of trustees, rèmunèr8tlon specified by 18w gre not m8tJe, or we have not received all the infDrm8tion and expl8netions we reouire for our audit,. or the trustees were not entllled to pre￿￿e the financial 5talEments In sccord8nce with the small Companies, regime and take advantage of the srnall companies, exemptions in prgparing the trugleeg, report and frorn the requirEmenl to prermrè 8 Strat￿1¢ report. with laws and reoulatlon and remained alèrt throughout our 8udit to any irKlications of non-cotnpliance, with areas of highest risk cornmunicated to all members of the audlt team. The ch8ritabl? comp8ny Is subject to laws 8nd rgavlations directlu 8ffectlno the fln8nci81 statements Including financial reporlirHJ legislation and tax8tion legislation which we assessed compliance with as pgrt Df our review of rel8ted fin8nCI81 st8temenl Items. This includes the Charities Act 2011 and Companiès Act 2006 as ￿ferenCe& above. Other laws and regulÈtions of which complianca was considèred hlgher risk las non-compliance could 188d to material misstatement of the tinancial gt8lementsl included anti-bribery reuulatlons. Èmplwment law, health and satètu leg1518tion 8nd dat8 protéctlon règu18tions. We considered areas which could be most SUSC9Ptible to frgud or misslalgment. which Included the use of Journals and su3pense $¢counts, msnagement override of controls end our 8udit work ha5 been performed to ensure that these areas have been tested on 8 58mpie basis, Intluding the u58 of data analutics lo review lor unusu81 Ir8ns8Cth)n5. Owlng lo the inherent limit8tions of an audll. thère is an un8voldsble risk that we mau not havp detected ? materigl misst8tem8nt within the fin&nci81 slate- ments while perlorrning our audit in accordance wlth applicable audit gt8nd8rds Irregular11ias may invDIv8 8 collusion, forgsry. Intènllon81 omissions, misrepresenlation5. or override of intern81 controls. We are not responsible tor preventing non-complignce and cannot bè axpgctèd to d9tecl non-compliancè with all 18ws and regu18tions. turlher description of our resty)n51bilities is av8118ble on the Finsncial Rèporting Council's websitÈ al vvwitr trc.oro ￿k1(Jac11¢0r This descr￿pIlon 1￿m5 P8rt of our auditor's r8Fort. Responslbllltles of trustees As explained more lully in the trusteès. rèsponsibilltles statemènt, the trust8es (who are also the directors of the ch8rit8ble ccmpany for the purposes ol cornpany lawl are responsible for the pr8paralian of the tin8nciÉl statements and for beino satlsfied thet they glve 8 true and fair view, and for stjch Internal control as the trustee5 determine is necessaru to enable the preparation ol Ilnanci81 slal8ments that Brè frèe from m8lerlal misstatement, whether due to fraud Jr ?rror. In preparing the fln&nciel st8lements, the truslges are r￿pOnSIble for ass8ssing the chariloble company'g ability lo continue ag a going concern, dis¢losino, as applicable, matters related to going concern and uslno the going concern b8SIs ol accounting unless the trustees either intend lo liquidate the charitable company or to cè8se oper8tions. or have no realistic altgrn8tive but +0 d¢ $0. Audltor's r•sponslblllllès for the audlt ol the Ilnanclal statements Our objectives are to obtbin roasonable assurance about whethèr the financial statements as a whole are free from materi81 mlsst8t?m8nt, whether due to fr8ud or error, and to ISSU£ Sn autJilor'5 report Ih8t Includes our opinlon. Re8$0nable aS￿renCe Is e high level of assLJrance bul 15 not a guarsnlge that an audit conducted In èccordance with ISA5 IUKI will 21way5