I’ve lived in Berkswell since 2006, and have been aware of Berkswell Charities since moving to the village. It’s hard to miss the physical impact of the Church Lane Almshouse building on the village green and the contribution its residents make to the diverse population of the village. As I became more involved in village and Parish matters, it became clearer to me that the charity holds an important role in protecting and preserving the ‘specialness’ of Berkswell.
Since stepping down as a Parish Councillor and as a committee member of Berkswell Society a few years ago, I looked for other ways I could contribute to the local community, and ideally in a way that would also align with my growing interest in, and knowledge of, domestic property energy efficiency – especially improving existing buildings, which is known as retrofit.
I applied to become a Trustee without really knowing what that role consisted of, and certainly without knowing a great deal about the charity’s priorities and challenges. You can only glean so much from the annual reports lodged with the Charity Commission. I am grateful to a number of current and past Trustees who provided me with some informal guidance on what I might expect from joining the trustee board, if my application was successful.
Having been successful with my application, I have joined most of the monthly meetings. The early meetings were a bit of a blur, as most of the agenda items were on-going matters of which I knew little, but I and the other new Trustees were guided along by the clerk and fellow experienced trustees to make the whole experience comfortable and supportive. As I read and listened more, I gained a better understanding of the charity workings, obligations and responsibilities. It’s a lot!
On the face of it, Berkswell Charities is a relatively small charity with an income of £420,000 and outgoings of £322,000. When you look closer, you’ll discover that there’s a complex web of obligations, objectives and investment assets which have evolved (quite literally) over centuries. The board of trustees has changed quite significantly over the last decade or so, and recognised that the organisational structure of the charity was not fit for purpose. Berkswell Charities CIO (Charity Incorporated Organisation) was formed in 2021 to ensure that the charity was better positioned to meet its objectives and the needs of its beneficiaries.
The move to a CIO created a lot of work, at not a little cost, but has now provided a firmer foundation from which to operate and to open up opportunities to provide even more benefit to the community.
My (relatively early) experience has been a good one. All of the Trustees are clearly committed to making a real difference to the residents, organisations and community the charity supports. The voluntary board is very ably supported by a full-time clerk, a part-time clerk and a number of operational, resident welfare and property-related service providers.
To my mind we currently spend too much of our time focused on managing our income generating property assets, rather than optimising the positive impact the charity can make on those we would call beneficiaries. It’s definitely a work in progress, and anyone considering applying to become a trustee should consider how willing they are to be a force for change, as I believe that with change the charity can achieve so much more than it currently does.
The bold new almshouse project in Burton Green is a great example of ambition and change. This is Trustee-led and will provide much-needed new housing accommodation for those most in need. If planning permission is granted the Trustees will need to decide how to build and operate the scheme, and what role the charity should play.
There will be other bold opportunities to explore and big decisions to take. My experience so far, is that there is a willingness to drive change for good, and we have some of the building blocks in place to enable that to happen, but not all of them. Our new website is a great example of how
the charity is evolving, but we need to do more, engage with stakeholders better and to be able to demonstrate the impact the charity has - and for that impact to grow, year on year.
I’m exploring opportunities to improve the energy efficiency of existing almshouses with the help of West Midlands Combined Authority funding, which once implemented will result in more comfortable homes from residents, reduced heating bills and lower carbon emissions. This in itself will require considerable change, and investment – but will bring multiple benefits which I am sure my fellow trustees will support.
Overall, I’d say my experience to date has been positive and mainly frustrated by my own lack of time (I work full time in my own business). I am now much more able to explain what the charity does, how it works and who benefits. I just wish that we could do more.
Graham Lock