Applicants must be in need of our accommodation. ‘Need’ is usually financial but sometimes may also apply to other circumstances.
We receive many applications for our Almshouses and often do not have any vacancies. However, when we do have vacancies the trustees are obliged to house people in the greatest need first. This does mean that some people will have a longer wait than others and that new applicants may sometimes be housed sooner than those already on the waiting list.
Once a vacancy does occur, we consider those applicants in the greatest need and their suitability for the accommodation available. All prospective applicants are invited to have a look round our buildings and to be interviewed by Catriona Milburn and a trustee. An application form does need to be submitted prior to an applicant being invited for an appointment and the application form can be down loaded from this website (please see the relevant link below). For data security reasons completed forms should only be posted back to us and they can not be filled in online. If there is any doubt about our criteria then please do not hesitate to contact us in the office prior to submitting an application.
Once we have received completed application form we will write or contact you to acknowledge receipt and you then be invited to an informal meeting. You are more than welcome to bring a friend or a relative with you to this meeting and we actively encourage it.
It is very much your decision as to whether or not you accept an offer to reside in one of our Almshouses and the Charity fully respects that. Quite often we have applicants wanting to see our facilities and then be asked to be put on a waiting list for 6-12 months’ time and we are more than happy to oblige on this basis.
All offers are confirmed in writing and a letter of appointment will be sent detailing the moving in date. The weekly maintenance contribution includes the accommodation charge and service charge. This is reviewed annually by the board of trustees. The letter of appointment forms the basis of the terms of occupation between the resident and the Charity and is important to note that residents are deemed as a beneficiary of the charity and do not hold any legal interest in their accommodation.
The charity wants to help residents live in comfortable accommodation and also to have extremely satisfying lives and enjoy being part of our community. We have many beneficiaries who have been with us for over 25 years and we do actively encourage residents to remain with us for as long as they are able to live independently. Unfortunately, no pets are allowed.
Download application form