The Home of Devenish is a registered charity providing free, unfurnished, independent accommodation for single Christian women, who are in need, and who are widows of Church of England clergy or officers in HM Armed Forces, or who are themselves retired Church of England clergy or retired officers in HM Armed Forces.
- The facilities are for the benefit of single women who qualify under the terms of The Trust.
- Applicants must be in reasonably good health and capable of living independently.*
- The accommodation is offered rent- and council tax-free but residents must pay their own telephone and electricity bills.
- The bungalows/maisonettes are unfurnished and it is assumed that each resident will supply her own furniture and other personal belongings.
- Family and friends are always welcome to stay for short periods, but the second bedroom may not be used for letting or for a permanent visitor.
- We regret dogs and cats cannot be accommodated, owing to the communal nature of the area surrounding the homes.
- The Trust is responsible for maintenance, exterior and interior decoration, and maintaining the grounds and gardens.
*Evidence of health is required to confirm that the applicant is fit enough to live on her own. It is necessary to have a friend or relative who can assist in times of difficulty. There is no resident warden and the Trust does not provide nursing care or night-time assistance. However, each resident is linked to a local telephone emergency service by push button phone and portable call button courtesy of the Trust.
Note: Day-time help can be supplied on a private paying basis, or through Social Services or NHS if applicable. Long-term night-time assistance is not an option due to practical constraints.
More details on who we help can be found on our Who We Help page.
In the event that your application is successful, you will be placed on the waiting list. Details of conditions that apply once a resident has been allocated a bungalow or flat are listed at the end of the application form.
Please note in particular:
- The Trustees do not currently request any contribution for maintenance, Council Tax or water charge nor do they anticipate having to make one, however they reserve the right to do so in the future if it should become necessary.
- By way of reassurance to the residents, the Trustees confirm that the funds of the charity are sufficient to meet its liabilities for the foreseeable future.
- While the Trustees welcome all single Christian female applicants, under the terms of Major Devenish’s will, priority will be given to Church of England women if applicants have equal needs. A waiting list is maintained and those in greatest need are housed first, not necessarily the person who has been on the list longest.
