Message from Bill Bewley, KCHT Vice Chair

Keswick Community Housing Trust has been awarded the King's Award for Voluntary Service for 2024.  The award recognises outstanding work by local volunteer groups to support their communities and is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK  -  the equivalent to an MBE.

Keswick is a beautiful part of the Lake District, which understandably attracts an ever growing number of holiday lets and second homes, but unfortunately risks impacting the future viability of the local community.  Keswick Community Housing Trust was set up in 2010 in response to concerns that locals were finding themselves squeezed out - and we initially thought we might be able to provide one house. 

This award is fantastic recognition for the many volunteers, past and present, who have worked so tirelessly to support KCHT in providing over 40 safe, secure, affordable homes - enabling people with links to the Keswick area through family and work to live here, raise families and contribute to keeping Keswick a vibrant community. 

In my opinion, three factors are at the heart of our success:

1. The support of the people of Keswick– the £60,000 raised in 2012 in response to our community investment share issue enabled us to buy our first site at St Johns, secure planning permission, unlock government grant funding and ultimately build 11 houses.  This provided the foundations on which we have been able to continue growing. 
2. Organisations with sites in Keswick, who understood our vision and worked with us so that "potential areas" could be transformed into real homes.  St Johns sold us part of their grave yard that was unsuitable for burial – which became our first development – aptly called The Hopes.  Allerdale Council sold us a disused toilet block for a nominal amount, enabling us to provide 4 one bed flats.  Keswick Methodist Church, who after their own successful transformation of their main church building, sold us their old church hall site for the provision of a further 4 homes. 
3. Our volunteers who give so generously of their time and effort to ensure that KCHT meets our responsibilities as a Registered Provider of Social Housing and fulfils our landlord responsibilities towards our residents.  Their actions allow us to operate with lower costs than other social housing providers and to gradually build up our reserves in readiness for future opportunities.

We are proud of what we've achieved so far, but we can't rest on our laurels.  The reality is that the challenge is even greater than when we started out.  In a 10 year period from 2013, Keswick has seen over 280 properties change to holiday homes and second homes, while only 80 new properties have been added.  We therefore remain committed to investigate new opportunities to increase the number of homes we are responsible for.  

If you are inspired by what you’ve read about KCHT and would like to know more about how you could help, please contact us [email protected]

Here's to many more years of KCHT making a difference, and hopefully providing even more homes!

Bill Bewley

Keswick Community ​Housing Trust

Affordable Local Housing in Keswick

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