Almshouse Charities provide essential and desperately needed accommodation for those within various groups of beneficiaries as defined within their respective charity schemes.

Are you a Trustee of an Almshouse Charity? Then your charity could benefit from grant funding to remodel your existing Almshouses, or to build new Almshouse homes. Grants are awarded by Homes England and are administered through a body known as the Almshouse Consortium Limited (ACL).

ACL exists solely to support and assist Almshouse organisations access grant funding from Homes England under the Government’s Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026. The value of the grants available varies according to the scope and nature of the work envisaged by the charity. It is usually assessed upon the basis of design proposals prepared by each charity and submitted to Homes England.

Carolyn Milburn MRICS, Partner and Chartered Surveyor at George F. White is closely involved with the Almshouse Consortium Limited and she sits on ACL’s Grant Panel.  As an investment partner ACL is a body approved by Homes England. It has assisted many Almshouse organisations to secure grant funding over three grant funding programmes during the last 10 years. Indeed, ACL has successfully bid for more than £38 million of grant funding in the last three programmes thus enabling the construction, upgrading or re-modelling of 1,226 Almshouses.

Grants may be awarded for remodelling and refurbishing existing Almshouses, and for building new Almshouses. Carolyn has extensive and detailed experience of the work necessary to identify necessary construction work; appoint and coordinate consultants to design and cost the work; obtaining the necessary permissions; securing tenders; and, undertaking the work on Site. Throughout the process, Carolyn represents the interests of the charity as part of her role with ACL, and ensures the grants are eventually received by the charity. She can also liaise with all interested parties including local authorities and parish councils; utility suppliers; adjoining owners and landowners; Environment and Highways Agencies; the press; and, historical and conservation bodies.

Carolyn has secured several recent grants from ACL for the refurbishment of a number of Almshouses and is currently working on further grant applications for Almshouse Charities in the North East.

If you are a Trustee of an Almshouse Charity and wish to find out about possible grant funding opportunities, then please contact Carolyn for an initial informal discussion. She would be pleased to advise upon your project and the possibilities for securing a grant from Homes England.

Carolyn can be contacted on 07969 740512 or carolynmilburn@georgefwhite.co.uk