People-Place Connections
People can form strong connections to a place. That place can vary in scale, but here we are discussing a connection to an almshouse or a local community. Feeling connected to a place can start in one’s own home. Being able to personalize and make the home their own is important to residents. With one couple who was interviewed, one started by saying “I mean it’s not our property but-” and their partner finished “It’s our home though, you make it how you want it don’t you?” (Residents 33 and 34). That connection to one’s home was further described by another resident:
“Well, apart from the fact that it’s home, it’s a place where you always go back to…It’s just part of you, really. That’s the best way I can describe it”
(Resident 39)
There is a strong sense of history within the almshouse movement, with an obvious attachment to the founding principles, and the ambitions of the founder of the charity. For some this connection remains very ‘live’ and aligns with an attachment to place. Place attachment can manifest in different ways, through defending place, preserving place and through more emotional connections in terms of feeling and being at ‘home’.
As discussed in the theme on Safety and Stability, for many residents, their housing situation before living in the almshouse was less secure. Moving into an almshouse and being more secure in their housing situation allows individuals to put down roots and plan to stay in their home and the area long-term. As one resident explained:
“I’m even going to be cremated and buried there, so I’ve got my plans set out. I’m stopping in [this village]”
(Resident 32)
Although place attachment can be rooted in history, such as where you grew up or a place visited regularly during your life like an annual holiday destination or other much-loved space, it does not rely on historic connections and can also develop in new, unexplored places. The responses in interviews showed that there is diverse attachment: some residents are attached to their immediate home but disconnected from the external environment and the wider urban location, for example being in the wrong part of town. Some residents had a pre-existing connection to the charity organization or been involved with activities there prior to moving into the almshouse and it was not uncommon for residents to have a relative or friend already living in the almshouse before they moved in. One site in particular had a lot of residents who knew each other from growing up:
“And most of us in here knew each other even… We all lived around [this area], so we knew each other before we even moved in here”
(Resident 17).
Having good connections was talked about often in the interviews and focus groups, and is a strong foundation for independent living and remaining independent, with the option to connect to many different communities.
“We have the local cricket club. So, there’s a cricket club which has a bar. There’s a bar in the village …. A pub. And then there’s the Catholic Club which is another place. So, really, there are three places and I go over to the Catholic Club on a Friday night.”
(Resident 39)
Another resident at a different site had a strong family connection not just to the almshouse but to her specific home:
“This used to be my mum and dad’s house before it was mine. It’s strange how that came about, because my mum and dad lived here, oh, how many years ago now, it must be 40 years ago, they lived here”
(Resident 32)
As discussed in the theme on Community Networks, relationships with other residents can cement one’s connection to the place they live. When asked what makes them fit in at the almshouse, one resident simply stated that “it’s my friends”. Another resident highlighted that what makes the almshouse special is “[t]he people that are in it” (Resident 58). They specifically talked about not only other residents but the staff as well making up the people that make the place special. As highlighted in the theme on Safety and Stability, feeling safe is also important for being able to form a connection to a place.
Someone’s connection to a place can extend to the broader local area. The feeling of safety that is important within the almshouse is also important in the area, or as some people put it living in a “nice” neighbourhood.
“I feel very situated in this part of London. I think it’s quite vibrant now. Quite safe. Safe as any other part of London really”
(Resident 61).
The local community was defined as quite a small area by some residents. Regional attachment is often not enough, attachment is much more local. We termed this ‘hyper-locality’ and is something we noted in both urban and rural settings, with residents describing the place they felt they belonged as being limited to a very small area of a city or one small village. One resident, when asked if she had any family in the area, said “no”, explaining that her daughter lived on the same road but six bus stops away (Resident 45). To this person, that distance of about a mile and a half constituted a completely different area of the city. Whether someone has grown up in the area or is a more recent transplant, that place may become a part of their identity. When explaining why they belonged in this area, one resident explained:
“All my roots are here. As I say, I know everybody, I know everything”
(Resident 32).
When attachment is strong (to homes and immediate area) but moving becomes essential, there are challenges for residents in getting used to those new surroundings, new ways of life (travelling to visit friends and relatives for example) and new routines (different shops etc.). The feeling of belonging is not always instantaneous for residents, but it can develop over time. For example, one resident noted:
“I suppose I do feel I belong here more than I did when I first moved in. And I certainly wouldn’t move anywhere else unless I won the Lottery”
(Resident 35)
This resident’s perspective on and connection to where they live have improved over time. Particularly for people who have lived in the area prior to moving into the almshouse, having family, friends, and other social connections in the area were beneficial for easing that transition. One resident described particularly close ties to the local area:
“Ever since I was a child, I went to school round here, the local doctor is round here, my friends live round here, etc. etc…my family is in this area as well”
(Resident 46)
Having amenities and things to do in the area improve that connection.
“Plenty of things round here to do. You are 10 minutes away from [the river]. Various restaurants you’ve got round here. I think it’s a good community round here.”
(Resident 61)
Some residents get involved in volunteering or other similar activities that embed them in the local community. Good public transport links are crucial to facilitating access to these amenities.
