Redhills Chief Executive, Nick, was in attendance for the 125th anniversary of Durham Aged Mineworkers’ Homes Association on August 8th 2023.
Reverend Danie Lindley of St Alban’s, Windy Nook led the service and gave an amazing sermon on Joseph Hopper, the man whose vision led to the creation of Durham Aged Mineworkers’ Homes Association in 1898. We have shared below with the permission of Reverend Lindley.
Durham Aged Mineworkers’ Homes Association is the largest almshouse charity in the UK, providing over 1,700 affordable homes, predominantly bungalows, across former mining communities in County Durham and the North-East.
These homes provide retirement housing for more than 2,000 residents. They also offer sheltered accommodation and leasehold schemes for the elderly.
Bible reading 1 Corinthians 12:14-26 Read by David Graham
Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honour to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.
Sermon
Joseph Hopper was a Christian — he lived his life by faith sharing his faith with others as a methodist lay preacher. He was a miner and he believed that a man who had served in the coal mines all his life deserved better than to be evicted from his tied colliery home when he retired.
A small weekly levy voluntarily donated from miners’ wages, plus donations of land and materials from mine owners and others, allowed the homes to be constructed and let free of charge.
In the early days of the movement with hardly any funds available to build new homes, old disused mansions were acquired and converted at Boldon, Shotton Colliery and Shincliffe. In addition, a complete village was purchased at Haswell Moor. District communities were formed across the county to oversee the raising of funds and building programmes. By 1909, over 200 homes for married couples and a number of single mens’ hostels had been provided.
During the 1910s decade the association built homes in almost every Lodge area in the county. In 1913 the Association received royal recognition when HM Queen Mary visited a number of the houses. At the beginning of the war in 1914, 475 homes and a number of single mens’ hostels had been built.
Times were hard during the war years and the 50s, 60s and 70s and in the 1980s things had to change – this is an interesting period because since the formation of the Association it has been fully reliant for its finances through subscriptions, donations and only recently from a rental income. In 1982 they became a Registered Housing Association with the Housing Corporation, gaining access to Government grants for new build and modernisation work. A substantial development programme to modernise 1,200 homes before the end of their centenary year was initiated.
The first newly built homes since 1957 were opened in 1983 at Nettlesworth. The Association embarked on new ventures by going into residential care and sheltered schemes for the elderly by building or converting suitable property for these purposes.
The association has continued to grow and develop and in present day Durham Aged Mineworkers’ Homes Association is the largest almshouse charity in the UK, providing over 1,700 affordable homes, predominantly bungalows, across former mining communities in County Durham and the North-East.
These homes provide retirement housing for more than 2,000 residents as well as having sheltered accommodation and leasehold schemes for the elderly.
There is much to celebrate – but we chose this reading that David shared because the success of the association is not just the legacy of Joseph Hopper – or the hard work of all who have taken part in its history but in the people who live in their houses, the people who support those who live in the houses and the people who continue to look outwards for more opportunities to provide affordable solutions to housing that provide community and support.
Many people play a part in the success of the association and without each of them, each of you, it would not be the success it is today – Joseph’s faith played a part in his decision and drive and we are here today in our church reflecting this as we say thank you. For those of us who have faith we know that paul was clear in the letter to the Corinthians that we are all responsible for sharing faith, all responsible for playing our part. And that when we work together – when we support each other – when we play our role to the best of our ability then it is blessed – reading through the history of the association seeing where it is now i fully believe that it was God inspired and God blessed from the start and continues to be – so today we can say thank you for all that has been, all that is and know that there is so much more to come. I have loved reading the residents stories on your website – the stories of support, hope, encouragement – the stories where sharing lives together in these communities has been a blessing, the stories where people have visited the homes as children and then returned to live in them when they needed support – the way that residents step up to be on residents committees, share poems and songs and so many other stories – what an amazing legacy of how we all flourish that mirrors the love of Jesus and how community flourishes. Durham aged miners housing association has given people shelter, hope, support and strength and our prayer is that this will continue for many many more years to come. Hanging onto that promise we will sing Guide me o thou great redeemer…