Out & About May 2017

Newbury Almshouses: yesterday and today

This is the story of philanthropy and welfare and how the need for charity or “alms for the poor” in the field of housing has never gone away; of how almshouses in Newbury came to be so important and why they are still needed today. They have the potential to comprise a significant proportion of social housing, for which there remains a growing and urgent need. It is also a tale about Mrs Mabel Luke, a lady of North Hampshire, who in 1928 bought land and built four almshouses in Newbury. One of the trustees of the charity TONY VICKERS explains the history behind the almshouses and how the charity aims to continue to stay true to Mabel Luke’s legacy and help more families in the process. 

Pictures: Phil Cannings

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