Knowledge Hub on Resilience in Almshouse Communities Launched

With more extreme climates and frequent 'shock events' like pandemics, boosting the resilience of communities and the built environment is crucial. The Knowledge Hub on Resilience in Almshouse Communities offers free resources to almshouse residents, staff, social housing providers, and anyone interested in strengthening communities to deal with change. 

UCL has led a 30-month research project with seven community partners who provide high-quality accommodation for older residents. These almshouse charities, some of which have existed for centuries, offer valuable lessons on resilience for both their communities and society at large. 

The Knowledge Hub presents 30 themes and several case studies on resilience, drawing on the experiences of residents, staff, and trustees from communities whose roots go back centuries and who are still developing and building new accommodation for their localities.

This project is the largest and most comprehensive research initiative with English almshouse communities. 

Dr Niamh Murtagh, the Principal Investigator for the project, said: "We are delighted to announce the launch of the Knowledge Hub. We hope it will offer a valuable set of resources to anyone involved in providing housing for older people or, in fact, any form of social housing. The lessons we learnt from our wonderful almshouse community partners can be applied to any community. We looked at resilience through the lenses of social resilience, built environment resilience and governance resilience, and the themes in the Knowledge Hub show how interconnected these are."

Martyn Craddock, CEO of United St Saviour’s Charity, said: "The website looks amazing, and full of brilliant resources. We are proud to be hosting this on our website."

Dr Alison Pooley, Chair of an Almshouse Charity, said: "This is a wonderful output for the project, really useful and totally unique in the world of almshouses!"

Visit The Knowledge Hub

Partners

• Members: Niamh Murtagh, Evelyn Callahan, and Jenny Pannell from UCL Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, and Alison Pooley from the University of Suffolk
• Charity Partners: United St Saviour's Charity, Sir Josiah Mason Trust, Whiteley Homes Trust, Durham Aged Mineworkers Homes Association, Southwark Charities, Legacy East Almshouse Partnership, and Bristol Charities 
• Funder: The Dunhill Medical Trust 
• Supported by: The Almshouse Association, Housing LIN, and Housing Diversity Network