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Needham Market and Barking Welfare Charities were set up in March 1980 by a Scheme of Arrangement drawn up by the Charity Commissioners. Under the scheme a number of existing old charities were amalgamated under a single body of Trustees, although grouped into three distinct funds, namely Almshouses, Crowley and others and Town Lands. In March 2003 the Crowley fund was transferred into the Town Lands fund.
The orginal Alexander and Maws Almshouses have been sold and replaced by two modern buildings at Drift Court. The new buildings bear the Alexander and Maws names to commemorate their original benefactors, and are operated as part of the Orwell Housing complex. The Trustees retain Nomination Rights. The new Almshouses provide a far higher standard of accommodation and facilities than was possible in the original buildings.
The Town Lands fund has substantial investments which were made possible by the sales in 1980 and 1997 of the land which is now the Pinecroft development on Ipswich Road. The income of the fund is used to provide Grants for the provision of facilities or benefit to the two communities of Barking and Needham Market, and for individual grants in cases of need. Details can be found in the Annual Report and Accounts.