A READER emailed Wokingham.Today, concerned about Westende Almshouse residents, some of whom have been without hot water for a number of weeks.
We contacted Wokingham United Charities, which runs the almshouses, and can reveal that the organisation has been doing everything it can, and expects a solution to be in place very soon.
Charity manager Amy Garstang said: “We are very sorry that some of our residents have been without hot water for 10 weeks, due to a situation that was beyond our control.
“They have been so patient, and we really appreciate that this has been very frustrating for them.
“It has been a really unfortunate series of events.”
When the almshouse main boiler failed at the end of July, the charity knew its back-up boiler would kick in.
It explains: “We acted on the day we were first alerted to the issue.
“The main system, although only five years old, proved to be broken beyond any possibility of repair.
“Much to our dismay, the backup system, only installed in 2024, also experienced multiple failures and proved unreliable.
“Many attempts were made to investigate the problems and to make repairs.
“Thinking that the backup system was working, we looked at providing long-term solutions to the hot water system.
“We then discovered that the backup was not capable of providing enough hot water for all the residents.”
Flats fitted with electric showers, and the general heating system have been unaffected, so residents have not had problems keeping their homes warm.
But the charity says it has been working hard to support those without hot water, offering them with 24/7 access to alternative onsite showering facilities, and providing 15 litre thermostat controlled catering urns for people with additional care needs.
It says: “We have appointed a contractor to install a heat pump system, which offers a more reliable and sustainable long-term solution.
“The contractor is fully aware of the urgency of the situation and has prioritised the installation.
“We were unaware of the extent of the issue, specifically that water was only lukewarm, until an unrelated residents’ meeting held on the 16th September 2025.
“Up to that point, we believed the backup system was functioning adequately.”
Jane Hartley, Chair of Wokingham United Charities said: “I am very sorry that our residents are still waiting for their hot water to be restored.
“It is so disappointing that our back-up turned out not to be effective.
“The catalogue of problems we have uncovered has been disheartening; every time one thing was fixed another problem was found.
“I would like especially to thank one of our new trustees, Harry Cannon, who has put days and days of work into trying to sort this out.
“And Amy Garstrang, our Charity Manager, who, behind the scenes, has gone the extra mile to resolve the problems.
“More importantly I would like to thank the residents for their patience.
“I know that it has been a real inconvenience for all but has had a significant extra impact for those with additional care needs.
“I can only apologise and say that we will learn from this to try to ensure that a similar event does not happen again.”
Installation of the new boiler is scheduled for mid-October, pending delivery of materials.
The charity will confirm to residents the exact date as soon as possible.
Once the system is fully operational, it says it will conduct a full debrief and improve monitoring and response, and will also consider appropriate redress for those residents most affected.
For information, visit: wokinghamunitedcharities.org.uk
