Centuries ago, help for the poor in society was provided by the church and the laity. The Old Poor Law was passed during the reign of Elizabeth I in 1601 and was followed by the New Poor Law in 1834, this latter date seeing the erection of a workhouse in Buckingham on a site off the Stratford Road.

These systems of relief continued until the establishment of the modern welfare state after the Second World War although in the 18th and 19th centuries, there were a number of charities in Buckingham and the surrounding area providing relief to poor people and which under the Charity Commission’s 1896 Scheme consisted of 17 charities in the ancient parish of Buckingham.
In 1963 these charities amalgamated under the Buckingham General Charities which in turn became incorporated in 2014 as a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), the Buckingham Almshouses and Welfare Charity (BAWC).

Today, the charity is governed by 12 trustees who are responsible for ensuring that it has a clear mission and strategy and has appropriate policies and procedures in place. It provides 12 almshouse residences in Buckingham, six at Christ’s Hospital in the High Street and six in Church Street while the Welfare Charity assesses and makes grants to people in need.