St John's Foundation

For 851 years, St John’s Foundation has been changing people’s lives, for good. As one of the UK’s oldest charities, we are proud to serve Bath and the surrounding area. But we’re still facing many of the same problems today as we have been throughout the centuries. It’s a dilemma that prompted us to launch our Best Start in Life initiative (formally known as the Foundation Fund) in 2020. This work focuses on making sure every child under 12 has the chance to grow up as a healthy, happy, and educated member of our community; that they have the support they need to lead fulfilling, independent lives beyond school and into older age. We are determined to narrow the primary school educational attainment gap, which is particularly acute in our area. Alongside this, we continue our long-standing work of helping older adults age well through the provision of housing and outreach services. With older adults now outnumbering younger people in our region, it’s more important than ever that we foster an age-friendly community, promoting independent living for longer. By addressing the needs of under-served young people, we believe we can change the direction of their lives, so that when they’re older, they won’t need us. Our city and the neighbourhoods around it are beautiful and age-old. However, divisions and inequalities are concealed behind the veneer of Bath stone and rural beauty. This is why we provide crucial support for those who have reached a crisis point in their lives, helping them with the most essential needs. We work to address these modern challenges, forging connections with like-minded charities and donors to boost our impact. It’s a long-term strategy, but we’re unwavering. After all, we’ve been around for 851 years.