It was a red letter day for a small voluntary organisation that has provided more than 40 affordable homes in Keswick.
Bill Bewley, chairman of Keswick Community Housing Trust, was presented with the King’s Award which recognises outstanding work by local volunteer groups to support their communities at a ceremony held at the town’s Methodist Church. It is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is the equivalent to an MBE.
“It was a fantastic occasion and what was wonderful was that there were a lot of people there from our early days and lots of other people saying nice things,” said a delighted Mr Bewley. “The Lord Lieutenant had certainly done his homework and was able to report on our work very well.
“It was a delight and what was also useful was the amount of networking we were able to do
“What is disappointing is that we have not been able to change the percentage of second and holiday homes in the town, which stands around 32 per cent, from the day that we started off. We desperately need to build some more properties and we have possibilities and are talking to people but its very difficult.
“The Government says it is going to put more money in but it doesn’t happen and Homes England says its last allocation is all spent. It’s all a bit tricky but we need to make a push to get a new scheme going. This (award) will give us more respect and people will realise that we are an organisation of some merit and will be happy to deal with us more.”
The Mayor of Keswick, Cllr Louise Dunn, and Keswick MP Markus Campbell-Savours also made a speech.
Mr Campbell-Savours said: “I am so proud of Keswick Community Housing Trust and how the team of volunteers have pulled together to bring homes to the town.
“Bill Bewley has led the way in what can be achieved by a tiny housing association – from the wonderful Calvert Way development to the conversion of an old bike shop delivering projects that larger housing associations would have turned their nose up at. Small communities need small projects and creativity, at which KCHT excel. This award, the MBE for volunteering, is so well deserved.”
KCHT was set up in 2010 in response to concerns that locals were finding themselves squeezed out – and it was initially thought that it may be able to provide one house.
It quickly gained the support of the people of Keswick and £60,000 was raised in 2012 in response to its community investment share issue. This enabled the trust to buy its first site, secure planning permission and unlocking government grant funding to build 11 houses.
This provided the foundation on which the KCHT has been able to continue growing.
Organisations with sites in Keswick have worked with the trust so that “potential areas” could be transformed into real homes. For example St John’s Church sold part of its graveyard that was unsuitable for burial to the trust.
It became the trust’s first development and was aptly called The Hopes.
Allerdale Borough Council also sold the trust a disused toilet block for a nominal amount, enabling it to provide four one-bedroom flats.
And Keswick Methodist Church sold to the trust its old church hall site on Southey Street for the provision of a further four homes.
KCHT volunteers give generously of their time and effort to ensure that the trust meets its responsibilities as a registered provider of social housing and fulfils its landlord responsibilities towards residents.
