Chairman Peter’s Retirement Celebrated

As the saying goes ...... “Charity begins at home” and the little known Lord Petre & Puckle Charity Almshouses, originating in the form of cottages, were built during the 1820’s to accommodate, at a nominal rent, the poor of the parish.   The Charity also holds various bequested investments producing income, and owns Great Burstead Common, pasture land of some 2.7 acres, currently leased to Little Burstead Village Hall Management Committee for village activities.

In the late 1960’s due to neglect, the original Ivy Cottages fell into disrepair and were condemned by the local authority as unfit for human habitation.   At a public auction the cottages were disposed of by the trustees of the day and with the proceeds, supplemented by a mortgage from Basildon Council, 3 modern bungalows were built as they are today 50 years later, complete with their own gardens and private car parking spaces.

Enter Peter Strong

Our Charity Commission ‘s Deed includes a body of seven trustees of which two are ex-officio, being local clergy, three nominated by Basildon Borough Council, and two co-opted.   In 1991 on the recommendation of the then trustees, our own member Peter Strong found himself appointed as a nominative trustee.  Peter was a close neighbour to Petre Place, indeed inhabiting the original Ivy Cottages now converted into a single dwelling. With an architectural background he could potentially be useful!

Greatness Thrust Upon Him

Peter takes up the tale:  “Within a year, the chairman of the day, a highly regarded villager, Roger Gall, tragically died at work and before I knew what had happened I was elected his successor.   Not fully appreciating the total significance of my commitment I was soon to discover that the dual role of chairman and clerk to the trustees had landed in my lap.

Thereafter at each 4-yearly review Basildon Council confirmed my re-appointment and so I continued ‘in sickness and in health’ until the Summer of 2021.   Unbeknown to me our residents came together to submit an article to the Almshouse Association’s Gazette which was published in last Autumn’s edition of that national magazine.”