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Almshouse Resilient Communities for the Future

12th July 2024

A new piece of research called Almshouse Resilient Communities (ARC) for the Future, is now live.

The project follows a 30-month programme led by University College London (UCL) and asks the primary research question: How can almshouse residents’ communities become more resilient?

With funding awarded from the Dunhill Medical Trust (DMT), it was conducted in collaboration with The Whiteley Homes Trust and seven other almshouse charity partners: University of Suffolk, United St Saviour’s Charity, Sir Josiah Mason Trust, Bristol Charities, Durham Aged Mineworkers’ Homes Association (DAMHA), Legacy East Almshouse Partnership (LEAP) and Southwark Charities.

Dr Niamh Murtagh of UCL, Principal Investigator on the research project, said: “We were delighted to work with The Whiteley Homes Trust on this research. We had insightful discussions with residents and staff, and we particularly valued the input from the Whiteley residents who were part of the project’s Residents Advisory Group. We hope that the Knowledge Hub will be a useful resource.”

Exploring the three perspectives of community, built environment and organisational resilience, it examines what can be learnt about resilience, not only for almshouse communities but for society more generally.

Rachel Hill, CEO of The Whiteley Homes Trust, commented: “As a charity for older people in need, giving our beneficiaries a voice is at the heart of what we do. Through our collaborative research with them and our partners, we’re committed to sharing their learning about the benefits of almshouse living and promoting innovative new practice. So, we are especially pleased and proud to be a part of this timely new project – one which will also help inform our own vision to build more almshouses, ensuring this ancient form of social housing remains relevant for the centuries to come.”

To read the full study, visit: https://www.ustsc.org.uk/arc-for-the-future/