We won the 'Innovation for Living Award'!

We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded the Almshouse Association’s Innovation for Living Award for outstanding innovation that enhances the lives of our residents.

The award was presented on 19 June by Willie Hartley Russell, Chairman of the Almshouse Association, and Simon Port, Chair of the Awards Committee, in celebration of our work to create “inspiring community projects highlighting the power of partnership and collaboration”. We were proud to be recognised for three of our almshouse projects, including the building of Grantchester Place - affordable accommodation for key workers - the kitchen garden at Fenner House, and the RHS Wisley project with residents and our community allotment volunteers.

We know affordable housing is desperately needed in Elmbridge, one of the most unequal boroughs in the country. Our research finds that average house prices in Elmbridge are 14 times the national average, and for key workers in particular, private rent for a one bed hone is unaffordable for 93% of newly qualified nurses in London and the South East.

Almshouses have also been proven to increase the life span of residents, as the social aspect of living in an almshouses helps mental and physical health. The BAYES study draws on findings that loneliness has the equivalent negative health impact to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and that friendships make a difference towards a healthy, happy life. We are proud to provide almshouse accommodation that is centred around preventing isolation.

Walton Charity has a long history of providing almshouses to local residents. Mayfield dates back to 1774, and in that time we have built a second property for over-55’s and two key worker accommodation properties. This provision of affordable, safe, and secure housing aligns closely with our mission as a Charity to alleviate poverty and create a thriving Elmbridge.

Thank you to the Almshouse Association for recognising our almshouses, and a big thank you to our wonderful team for making this possible. Most importantly, we want to thank our residents for their involvement in all these projects and who are at the heart of our housing.

19 June 2025

Article by Amy Dixon, Walton Charity’s Policy and Communications Officer