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John Sayer Almshouses “STARLIGHT EXPRESS” Draw
Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Aim
To raise funds to enable us to make the last Almshouse habitable so that it can be offered to a person in need.
WIN 4 tickets to see Award Winning STARLIGHT EXPRESS at Wembley!
Enjoy an unforgettable night at the Starlight Auditorium. The winning tickets are valid for any performance within six months of the draw, subject to availability. (Sold-out performances excluded.) No cash alternative is available. Entries close 12noon on 15 December 2025. Simply select your online entry option below.
The Cause
The John Sayer Almshouses
The John Sayer Almshouses have stood quietly in the centre of Berkhamsted for 340 years and are still in use today as originally intended.
In his Will, dated July 1681, Sayer bequeathed £1000 in trust “for the building of an almshouse and the purchasing of lands for the relief of the poor in Berkhamsted St Peter”. He did not live long enough to finalise the details; his wife Mary dealt with implementing his wishes. The building cost £269, the balance being invested. She outlived John by 30 years.
In 1965 the Grade 2 listed houses were converted from six units to four, although the six front doors remain. In recent years, maintenance of the building has continued. This included re-pointing the chimneys in the 1990s. Unfortunately, some of the modern materials used such as cement pointing and gypsum plaster are now causing issues with damp on the inside walls. The charity is undertaking a major refubishment project to rectify some of these problems.
Three of the four houses have been refurbished and are occupied. The fourth house is currently vacant and requires complete internal refurbishment before it can be offered to any new resident.
Structural repairs are needed in the roof and the ceiling, the walls need to be replastered in lime and rewiring is needed to bring it up to current standards. It needs a new kitchen and bathroom, flooring, tiling and decorating!
The Almshouses are run by volunteers and receive no public funding, so any donation you can give will go to this restoration project. Thank you!
This project successfully funded on 15th December 2025