Fourteen questions, with the chair’s answers.

Older neighbours (60+) who have lived in West Sussex for at least ten years and who, in the trustees’ judgement, would not otherwise be able to remain in Midhurst. We do not assess on income alone; we look at the whole of a person’s situation. We do not require any religious affiliation.

As of May 2026, we have nine names on the waiting list. Vacancies arise only on the death or move of a current resident; on average, that has happened twice every five years over the last decade. We meet every applicant in person within six weeks of receiving their letter, even when we have no prospect of housing them.

Residents pay £42 a week (reviewed each spring). This covers the buildings insurance, the council tax, the kitchen-range coal, and a contribution to the buildings reserve. Residents pay their own electricity, food and personal items. The contribution does not include any care provision.

Yes. A resident’s tenancy continues for as long as the resident wishes to remain, and is not contingent on any change in their circumstances. We will not ask a resident to leave because they have become more expensive to support.

The almshouse is not a care home. If a resident’s health declines to a point where independent living is no longer possible, the trustees, in conversation with the resident, their family and their GP, will help to find appropriate alternative care. We have referral pathways into local nursing and residential homes through Age UK Horsham District and the West Sussex social-care team.

A small fund of discretionary welfare grants for older neighbours within our area of benefit. Grants are typically between £75 and £350. The fund was established in 2018 from the merged Educational Foundation endowment.

By letter to the chair, by telephone (Tuesday to Thursday, 10.00–15.00) or in person at the Tuesday garden mornings. The form is on the resources page but a letter in your own words is just as welcome. The typical decision time is six working days from receipt to payment.

We will not pay for ongoing costs (a regular bill that recurs each month), holidays, debt repayment, the purchase of new appliances where existing ones work, or any item where the alternative is statutorily provided. We never pay cash.

Roughly half of our annual expenditure goes on the buildings (maintenance, insurance, council tax, the buildings reserve), about a third on the Wassail Fund, and the remainder on administration (paper, printing, the chair’s postage, the independent examiner’s fee). Our annual report sets it out in full.

Yes. Write “Wassail Fund” in the reference of your standing order or in the note on your donation form. Restricted gifts are held in the Wassail Fund account and can only be spent on grants.

Yes. A legacy of any size is gratefully received. The chair will gladly send you a suggested clause for your solicitor. Write to [email protected] with “Legacy” in the subject line.

The charity has a historical association with the parish church of St Mary Magdalene and St Denys, dating to the 1632 bequest, but there is no religious requirement of residents, volunteers, grant applicants or trustees. Eligibility is on the criteria set out in the 1963 Scheme, and on no other basis.

Trustees are co-opted by the board, with vacancies advertised in the parish magazine and the porch noticeboard of St Mary Magdalene and St Denys. Trustees serve an initial four-year term, renewable once, with a hard limit of eight years on the board. Conflicts of interest are managed by a standing register and withdrawal where appropriate.

The almshouses are private homes. The walled garden behind them is open to neighbours on the Tuesday garden mornings (09.00–12.00, March to October). The four cottages themselves are open to neighbours on one Saturday in September each year, for the open day. Please do not knock at other times.