The Trustees of the Lambourn Almshouses are very pleased to share some important and positive news.
Adele Swadling has taken on the role of Clerk to the Trustees, succeeding Pete Penfold.
Pete has served in this role with great care and commitment, following in the footsteps of both his father and his grandfather. Between them, the Penfold family have supported the Almshouses for more than eighty years, and this continuity of service has been a real gift to the charity.
After much thought, Pete has decided that the time is right for him to retire and for a new Clerk to take the role forward. This will allow him to focus on his many other interests, while continuing to remain closely involved with the Almshouses as the Almshouses Archivist. This ongoing involvement is especially welcome as the many records will be organised and shared with the Archives at New College, Oxford, whose long involvement with the Charity is being rekindled.
Adele brings more than sixteen years’ experience as a Parish Clerk and Responsible Finance Officer, alongside acting as Clerk to several charitable trusts. Adele is highly skilled in governance, compliance, finance and minute taking, and is well known for her calm, methodical and people focused approach. Now based in Lambourn, she also works at Lambourn Surgery, where she supports safeguarding processes and serves as Dementia Lead, reflecting her strong commitment to care, accuracy and community service. The Trustees are confident that Adele’s experience and professionalism will serve the Lambourn Almshouses extremely well as the charity enters an important new chapter.
Adele brings renewed energy at this time of growth, as our exciting Methodist Chapel site development, providing nine new homes nears completion in the first quarter of 2026. To ensure a smooth and well supported transition, Adele and Pete will work together throughout January as part of a handover period.
The Trustees would like to place on record their sincere thanks to Pete for his tremendous dedication and long-standing service. We will be arranging a special lunch in February to mark Pete’s retirement as Clerk and to celebrate the contribution he has made to the Lambourn Almshouses.
