2025
Our impact
We measure our impact to understand the difference our work is making and where we can improve. As a charity with more than eight and a half centuries behind us, learning and adapting has always been part of how we operate. The impact below reflects the work we delivered in 2025.
Almshouses
We currently provide 94 almshouses across two sites for people aged 65 and over who are experiencing financial hardship. Each home offers a secure, affordable place to live, with the reassurance of support close by if it’s needed.
Our team works alongside residents every day, offering advice, guidance and help with maintenance and repairs. Beyond the homes themselves, there is a strong sense of community. Regular coffee mornings, quiz afternoons and shared meals bring people together, helping friendships grow and ensuring no one feels isolated
I’m very happy and I love living here. It’s independent living, but I feel safe, and I know you are there if we need you.
A STUDY BY BAYES BUSINESS SCHOOL FOUND THAT THOSE WHO LIVE IN ALMSHOUSES MAY LIVE UP TO TWO AND HALF YEARS LONGER.
Activities & Classes
Staying active and connected becomes increasingly important as we get older. Regular movement, learning something new and spending time with other people all help protect against cognitive decline, lift mood and support physical health.
That’s why St John’s activities matter. They give older people in Bath and North East Somerset a place to socialise, try something new and stay engaged in ways that feel manageable and enjoyable.
The classes prevent isolation, they provide learning experiences, fun company, a routine. They are hugely important to me and I love attending them. Excellent value too. It’s very inclusive, friendly and I’m so lucky to have this on my doorstep (well not literally!)
EMBRACING ACTIVITIES YOU LOVE CAN ADD UP TO 7.5 YEARS TO YOUR LIFE
Crisis Programme
Financial insecurity can arise for many reasons. Systemic issues such as rising housing costs, insecure employment, low incomes and the rising cost of living mean that many households are only one unexpected event away from crisis. Ill health, relationship breakdown, job loss, or the need to move home can quickly push families into situations where essential needs cannot be met.
WE’RE HERE TO SUPPORT PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHEN THEY FACE UNEXPECTED FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES.
A Crisis Programme beneficiary’s story
Lucy* is in her thirties and has five children, all aged under 10. She recently separated from her husband following a relationship marked by emotional and financial abuse, including controlling and coercive behaviour.
When Lucy and her children moved into a new privately rented home, they were forced to leave with very few belongings and her former partner refused to provide financial support.
St John’s provided funding for essential items, including beds for Lucy and each of the children, as well as wardrobes and a dining table. This support helped ensure their new home was safe, functional and liveable at a time of significant upheaval.
* Quotes and content of beneficiary case studies are true but names have been changed to protect confidentiality.
Best Start in Life
OUR AMBITION WITH BEST START IN LIFE HAS BEEN TO GIVE CHILDREN THE BEST POSSIBLE START IN LIFE, SUPPORTING THEIR WELLBEING, DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING SO THEY CAN THRIVE AS THEY GROW.
Our work has focused on reducing the educational attainment gap for children at Key Stage 2. The attainment gap which measures the difference in educational outcomes between children eligible for free school meals and those who have never received free school meals. St John’s does this by using early intervention and targeted support to address under-served as early as possible.
Language for Life
Early support through Language for Life identifies speech and language issues as early as possible and helps address them quickly, reducing the risk of children falling behind when they start school. The aim is for children receiving support to begin school with language and communication skills in line with their peers.
Where children needed ongoing support in Reception, this was shared with teachers through pre-school handovers.
IN 2024–25, 1,161 CHILDREN WERE ASSESSED AND SUPPORTED THROUGH THE PROGRAMME.
The graph shows progress between first and final assessments:
- Red: severe needs
- Amber: moderate needs
- Green: on track
The final assessment included 1,161 children, with some variation from the initial group.
We’ve got one lad now who will leave us at the end of Year 6. He is going to a specialist provision, but he leaves us reading, which he wasn’t doing back in Year 3/4. And that’s because of the extra hours and the Teaching Assistant who has read with him every day, using the fresh start materials. He leaves Year 6 now as a reader, which I don’t think he probably would have done without the extra funding.
– A story from a teacher within one of our Primary Empowerment Schools
Household support
THE PROGRAMME AIMED TO INCREASE ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS FOOD FOR UNDER-SERVED FAMILIES IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.
In 2025, St John’s worked with partners to rescue and distribute 96,970kg of food across Bath and North East Somerset – the equivalent of 230,880 meals.
17% of ADULTS WHO LIVE IN BATH AND NORTH EAST SOMERSET ARE WORRIED ABOUT INSUFFICIENT FOOD.
Partnership working
WE ALSO SUPPORT LOCAL CHARITIES AND ORGANISATIONS WHOSE WORK IMPROVES THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
In 2025, we provided over £125,000 in funding and in-kind support to partner organisations and initiatives that strengthen our local community.