The Dulwich Almshouse Charity

Registered charity 207167 · since 1962dulwichalmshousecharity.org.uk·Islington, Southwark·Updated 29 October 2026

At a glance

£9,750

Annual giving, year to 31 March 2025

From filed accounts

£1,500 to £3,000

Grant range

From the annual report's grant list

£1,750

Typical grant (median)

5 published grants

Key takeaways

The grants programme has been gradually reduced and is suspended for the foreseeable future, so a request now is unlikely to be funded; no application process is published, so contact the charity first to ask whether it is open.
If it reopens, its typical grants run from £1,500 to £3,000, with a median of £1,750, so a modest request fits best, though that band is typical rather than a ceiling.
Its grants go to charitable and community organisations linked to its outreach to older people, such as befriending and activities services and pensioner centres, so a group serving older people near the almshouse is the closest match.
No geographic focus is stated; its grants have mainly gone to organisations in Southwark and Islington, but that is not a rule.
The published eligibility rules describe people seeking almshouse places, not grant applicants, so an organisation should not read them as a bar on its own application.

Overview

The Dulwich Almshouse Charity is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 207167).

The Dulwich Almshouse Charity runs an almshouse of sixteen flats in Edward Alleyn House on College Road, Dulwich, providing quality, affordable, supported accommodation to low-income older people over 60. It was established over 400 years ago by its founder, a successful actor-manager and entrepreneur who owned the Manor of Dulwich. It also runs an outreach scheme for older people living near the almshouse. Its latest annual report shows £9,750 awarded in grants, although its grants programme has been gradually reduced and is suspended for the foreseeable future.

What they fund

Priority Areas

The charity operates a small almshouse and provides quality, affordable, supported accommodation to low-income older people over 60. It also runs an outreach scheme for older people living near the almshouse, and its grants are described as part of that programme. Its recorded organisational recipients include charitable trusts, an older-people's befriending and activities service, and a pensioner centre; one trust is also described as owning a community centre. Its grant-making is therefore channelled through charitable and community organisations in support of its older people's outreach, alongside its direct housing and support for residents.

Themes

Older people's outreach

Geographic Focus

No geographic focus is stated; the annual report shows grants mainly in Southwark and Islington.

What they don't fund

Applicants must be inhabitants of the area of benefit
Applicants must have lived in the area of benefit for a period of three years or more prior to their application
Applicants must be at least 60 years of age
Applicants must be in “need, hardship or distress” and of modest financial means
Applicants must be on a low income (‘modest means’): below £15,000 p/a gross for a single person, and below £20,000 p/a gross for a couple
Applicants can have moderate savings, below £60,000 for a single person, and below £100,000 for a couple
Applicants must be able to support themselves financially, especially those who do not receive housing and council tax benefits; they must be able to meet the weekly contribution from their own resources
Applicants must be able to live independently but can have a local authority care package
Applicants must have sufficient mobility to be able to carry out simple tasks for themselves once the carer has left for the day
The scheme manager is not permitted to offer any form of assistance with personal care or the administration of medication
Applicants must be able to participate and enjoy living in the community and benefit from communal living
If the applicant's resources are substantial and there are other types of accommodation in the locality (which they can afford, and which will meet their needs) they should not generally be offered an almshouse place
No pets are permitted due to the difficulties with caring for these if the resident falls ill
None of the flats are accessible for people who are in wheelchairs, or who have other significant mobility issues

How to apply

No application process is published in the charity's annual report, its register entry or its website. The contact shown is for getting in touch.

Who can apply:

Edward Alleyn House
- Applicants must be aged 60 years and over.
- Applicants must be on a low income (‘modest means’). This is currently set at: Below £15,000 p/a gross for a single person, and below £20,000 p/a gross for a couple.
- Applicants can have moderate savings. These are currently set at: Below £60,000 for a single person, and below £100,000 for a couple.
- Applicants must be able to support themselves financially, especially those who do not receive housing and council tax benefits, i.e. they must be able to meet the weekly contribution from their own resources.
- Applicants must be able to live independently but can have a local authority care package (care workers coming one - three times a day to help with washing, dressing, and meals).
- Applicants must be able to participate and enjoy living in the community and benefit from communal living.

Where they fund

Where its grants have gone

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to The Dulwich Almshouse Charity.

Consolidated Charity of Burton upon TrentFixed deadlinesGave £102k The Earl of Northampton’s CharityRollingGave £549k Kingsbury CharityNo public processGave £211k St. Clement Danes Holborn Estate CharityNo public processGave £25,000 Sherburn House CharityNo public processGave £10,000 Rotherhithe Consolidated CharitiesRolling The George Gibson Almshouses Foundation TrustNo public processGave £2,269 Uxbridge United Welfare TrustRollingGave £59,351 St. Giles Charity EstatesNo public processGave £66,715 Southwark CharitiesRollingGave £554k

Grants

5 published grants analysed · median £1,750

How much do they typically give?

Share of 5 grants in year to 31 March 2025 by size

£1k–£2.5k80%

£2.5k–£5k20%

Median £1,750 (year to 31 March 2025)

The largest grants to organisations in this funder’s latest annual report:

St Luke's Parochial Trust
£3,000year to 31 March 2025
Bishopsgate Foundation
£1,750year to 31 March 2025
Camberwell Consolidated Charities
£1,750year to 31 March 2025
LinkAge Southwark
£1,750year to 31 March 2025
Southwark Pensioner Centre
£1,500year to 31 March 2025

Grant examples taken from the funder’s filed accounts.

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 March 2021	£275,195	£301,556	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2021
year to 31 March 2022	£271,790	£266,829	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2022
year to 31 March 2023	£307,568	£322,057	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2023
year to 31 March 2024	£325,695	£283,403	—	Accounts for year to 31 March 2024
year to 31 March 2025	£322,936	£263,507	£9,750	Accounts for year to 31 March 2025

Grants paid, year to 31 March 2025: grants awarded in the year, as reported in the accounts.

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.