For the best part of the last three years, St John’s Foundation has been working hard on restoring number 1 Queen Square to its former glory.
With work now complete, the building begins the next chapter of its life as the House of St John’s – a co-working space powered by social purpose. Run by the Charity’s Trading Subsidiary, its profits will be gifted to St John’s.
The House of St John’s is designed to be the place that your business can call home, the beautiful Grade 1 listed building now houses a variety of private offices, dedicated desks, meeting rooms and a fabulous event space. High-end fittings, ultra-fast broadband, and an attentive team of staff, complemented by a relaxing lounge and bar, make this the perfect place for the new hybrid working lifestyle.
With doors set to open January 2022, members will have the choice of:
Private offices – your space, tailored to your business’ needs
Dedicated desks – convenience of a personal desk, energy of a communal workspace
Co-working – hot-desking, the ultimate is flexibility
Lounge membership – the perfect option for those who want to make connections
Prestigious address – your business, our premium address
Informative as the website is, nothing beats seeing the ‘wow factor’ of seeing the building in person. Book your tour today on the House of St John’s website.
Hollie Markham, Head of Operations at the House of St John’s
In our role as charity partner, profits from memberships will be gifted to our Foundation Fund to help fund positive change within our community, specifically supporting disadvantaged children in Bath and North East Somerset.
The four key pillars of the Fund include providing nutritious food every day; a safe place outside of school; behavioural and emotional support and help in reading and writing, oracy, and mathematics. Addressing all these issues helps to make great inroads into lessening the educational attainment gap.
In July this year, St John’s Foundation collaborated with Virgin Care and Bath and North East Somerset Council, to launch the Language for Life project. The project focuses on supporting pre-school children to reach their age-related expectations in communication and language development before they transition into primary school settings in Bath and Keynsham. This type of targeted support is a key focus of St John’s Foundation Fund which aims to significantly reduce the educational attainment gap in B&NES by 2030.
Now, with one term complete, we are pleased to share an update on the project to date.
Term 1 very much focused on recruiting settings and providing training.
The initial priority was to invite 25 early-years settings who met the project criteria. Those invited included childminders, group-based settings, and school nursery classes, all of whom were committed to making a difference to the children and families they care for.
Once a place was accepted, practitioners from each setting attended the WellComm Toolkit training to learn how to implement language interventions and complete the ‘language screen’ (a language-based assessment to identify what level a child’s communication is). All shared that they felt confident with the techniques used and understood that term one would be very much an opportunity to put the training stage into practice, with skills further honed over term two.
Practitioners also had visits from the programme’s Speech and Language Therapist and began their first language screening. During the visits, the practitioners shared that the toolkit had helped them to recognise children who needed additional support, helping them to identify gaps in children’s communication and language development.
Even though term one is just the training stage of the project, positive impact is already being made with one practitioner saying:
“I am really enjoying the Language for Life project and I think all the training, resources and support you have organised are fantastic. So far, I have identified one child as being in the red zone, his parents are very engaged with the project, and I have made a referral for speech and language support. The parents have been given activities to do at home with the child from the Big Book of Ideas.”
The Language for Life programme also provides a unique opportunity for emerging or existing leaders in the early-years settings to take on the role of Communication Champions. In this role they receive further training, support, and guidance, whilst gaining two years leadership experience in delivering a project.
The purpose of this role is to act as a ‘champion’ for those children who may be vulnerable to underachieving due to a communication and language need. The champion will then co-ordinate support to help them to reach their full potential, linking with the setting Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator where appropriate. Champions will also ensure the success of the project by co-ordinating and overseeing the implementation of it in their setting.
Term 2
Term 2 will see the start of regular visits to each setting from the Early Years’ Service. These visits will be to support the champions in their leadership role, consider how they will engage their families in the project and to help identify any vulnerable learners that might find accessing other services beneficial, in addition to the Speech and Language Therapy Service.
The early-years settings will also receive a further visit from the Speech and Language Therapist to support them with implementing their setting language interventions.
As the project continues to take shape, we will provide regular updates to our stakeholders. The next update will be at the end of term two.
St John’s Foundation is delighted to welcome the Elves’ Swapshop into one of our recently vacated buildings. This wonderful initiative aligns perfectly with our Foundation Fund that supports disadvantaged children aged from birth to 12-years-old living in Bath and North East Somerset.
The Bath BID and Share and Repair Bath have teamed up to bring an enchanting and environmentally minded Christmas to families in Bath.
From 26th November to 19th December, they are inviting children to visit the Elves’ Swapshop to St John’s vacated property, 5 Old Bond Street, where they have trained the Share and Repair volunteers to refurbish toys and give them a new, loving home.
Tickets are available for a workshop demo and a jolly singalong with the elves for children and their adults, with family tickets available for a maximum of three children.
Children are being welcomed along to see the fabulous Elf-O-Matic toy upcycler in action by bringing a toy to be gifted to another lucky child. With the help of Elf-O-Matic technology, the elves will make sure that each toy is safe and clean and ready for its new home. Everyone who brings in a toy can see the machine in action and will be invited to take home a toy of their choice.
The Elf-O-Matic machine was the brainchild of Allison Herbert, Chief Executive of the Bath BID, and was brought to life by theatre and festival set designer and maker, Vix Fuller. Over 85% of the machine was made from reused, recycled, upcycled and preloved materials, including Vix’s children’s former playhouse, a Perspex cog that was previously used at Glastonbury Festival, and doors from former Bath nightclub, Bath to Mine.
As well as meeting the elves and marveling at the Elf-O-Matic machine, children will have the opportunity to post their Christmas wishes into Father Christmas’ post box. Letters that include a stamped addressed envelope will receive a special Christmas greeting from Father Christmas.
The environmentally-minded Elf-O-Matic gives children a chance to put the ‘reuse, repurpose, recycle’ message into action as they swap used-for-used in a fun and festive way.
Allison Herbert, Chief Executive at the Bath BID, said: “Father Christmas’ elves work so hard every year to ensure children all over the world, and this year, we are keen to give them the recognition they deserve!
“We are delighted to be working with Share and Repair, who work hard in the community all year round to help people save money and help the planet.
“This is an exciting part of our work to bring people into the city over the Christmas period, helping to support Bath’s business community.”
Lorna Montgomery, Founder of Share and Repair, said: “This is the perfect extension of our vision and purpose to inspire and deliver more opportunities for extending the life of items – in this instance, toys. The idea and its implementation are inspirational, and we are delighted to partner with the Bath BID in its delivery. We’re looking forward to having lots of ‘green’ fun for children and adults!”
Vix Fuller said: “I was really excited to be given the chance to make the Elf-O-Matic toy upcycler, not only because it offered the chance to make something intriguing for children but also because I was able to create something that involved upcycling and reusing materials without buying new.
“I have repurposed many old or broken items in this project, including lots of my children’s old toys. Each day, the machine evolved depending on what I found to add. I hope children will be inspired by the Elf-O-Matic, and that the Elves’ Swapshop will show that a toy doesn’t need to be new to be special.”
We are delighted to announce that we are hosting a Christmas fair and market on Friday 3rd December, 11am – 3pm in The Chapel at 4-5 Chapel Court, Bath, BA1 1SQ.
There will be an array of gifts, crafts, pottery, plus much more for you to buy for your loved ones this Christmas.
We look forward to welcoming you!
For more information call 01225 486401or email goodliving.enquiries@stjohnsbath.org.uk
This is an article from St John’s Foundation’s subsidiary, St John’s Hospital Trading Company
What does the House of St John’s offer?
Focused on community, inclusion and informal luxury, we describe the House of St John’s as the place to work, connect and grow.
Situated at 1 Queen Square, the beautifully restored Grade 1-listed building now houses a variety of private offices, personal desks and hot desks, together with a bookable boardroom, elegant event space and stylish lounge and bar. High-end fixtures and fittings are complemented by ultra-fast broadband and, unusually for central Bath, we also have a furnished outdoor terrace. With attentive staff ensuring all runs smoothly, we firmly believe House of St John’s is the perfect place for the new hybrid working lifestyle.
What sets you apart from other co-working spaces?
While we are proud of the inspiring environment we have created, becoming a member of the House of St John’s is about so much more; not only do you get to benefit from the first-class facilities on offer, but your contribution positively influences the community around you. Profits from this new venture will be gifted to our charity partner, St John’s Foundation, specifically for its Foundation Fund – a fund established to support disadvantaged children in Bath and North East Somerset and to help lessen the education attainment gap.
How do you support the community?
The House is a social enterprise that gifts profits to its charity partner, St John’s Foundation. The profits are used specifically for the Foundation Fund which seeks to ‘level the playing field’ and help disadvantaged children in our area live happy and healthy lives. It will do this by ensuring children have nutritious food every day; a safe place outside of school; behavioural and emotional support and additional support with foundational reading, writing, oracy, and mathematics.
Secondly, post pandemic, we are determined to support local, independent businesses. To that end, we have engaged with businesses who share our ethos and whose products only enhance the House of St John’s offering. Members will benefit from discounted rates and priority access to businesses featured in our ‘Just across the Square’ list of who’s who.
What do your customers say about your space?
New to the Bath scene, we launch late November 2021 and so we have yet to have any customer reviews! However, whatever style of membership you choose, you’ll automatically be part of our inclusive and collaborative community.
If you take a whole office, it will be thoughtfully furnished based around our members’ needs. As a member of the House of St John’s, you can enjoy a private office while still feeling part of a larger community.
If a whole office isn’t for you, then personal or ‘dedicated’ desks are the way forward. Whether you are an early bird who likes to start work at 6am or someone who needs to be online at 11pm, the desk will be yours and yours alone.
Finally, our hot-desking option provides the ultimate in flexibility and is ideal for those members who like to move around, choosing different environments dependent on their needs – one day it might be a quiet corner, the next all the hubbub of a communal lounge.
Find out more about the House of St John’s here or email hello@hosj.co.uk
On Wednesday 20th October, St John’s convened a meeting of the National Advisory Board, with representatives of nationally recognised key organisations such as the Early Intervention Foundation, Education Endowment Foundation, Nuffield Foundation and Feeding Britain in attendance.
Bringing together national experts in child and parental health, early years work and education, and food poverty, St John’s recognises the power of harnessing this collective expertise to help them reach the Foundation Fund’s overarching goal.
Established in February 2020, The Foundation Fund is a B&NES-wide funding programme set up to address the educational inequalities that exist between affluent and disadvantaged communities. The programme is specifically about supporting children from birth to 12 years old and their families, with funding being released under four key strands:
- Helping families to access nutritious food every day
- Ensuring children have safe places to go outside of school hours
- Providing children with emotional and behavioural support
- Providing specialist support with key skills in literacy, oracy and numeracy.
The group will meet three times a year to give guidance on various projects and to offer advice on the direction the Foundation Fund should take.
Bringing together experts from all over the UK, will also help raise the national profile of this B&NES project, leading to greater collaboration and sharing of best practice.
Chair of the National Advisory Board, as well as Executive Director of The Foundation Fund, Louise Harvey said “we are delighted to have such a passionate, experienced and knowledgeable group of experts supporting the Foundation Fund. This board enables us to have oversight of projects and initiatives happening all of the country and beyond, as well as raising the profile of the fund and broadening our networks and reach.”
Read about our Primary Empowerment Programme and Language for Life initiative here.
After almost two years hidden behind hoardings and scaffolding, St John’s Foundation is finally able to reveal the beautifully restored 1 Queen Square.
Behind its doors, you’ll discover the House of St John’s – where co-working has found a new home.
The Grade 1-listed, Georgian building commands a prestigious BA1 address and has been thoughtfully refurbished. It now hosts a variety of private offices; flexible and dedicated desks; meeting rooms and a stylish event space. Additionally, members can expect 24/7 access.
While the building has been sympathetically restored, the trappings of the modern world have also been included, with high-end fittings, ultra-speed broadband and attentive service staff. The exclusive co-working environment space will open late 2021, providing the perfect place for the new, hybrid working lifestyle.
House of St John’s will be the place for members to meet, network and socialise, as well as getting on with the serious business of making a living. The founding principles of membership are focussed on community, inclusion and informal luxury and the aim is to bring together like-minded people, invested in social change.
Profits from the new venture will be gifted to the House’s charity partner, St John’s Foundation, to fund positive societal change which includes supporting disadvantaged children in Bath and North East Somerset. This crucial work is done through the charity’s Foundation Fund and the four key pillars include providing nutritious food every day; a safe place outside of school; behavioural and emotional support and help in reading and writing, oracy, and mathematics. Addressing all these issues makes great inroads into lessening the educational attainment gap.
Louise Harvey, Director of St John’s Hospital Trading Company LTD
For further information, visit the House of St John’s website or email hello@hosj.co.uk
At the start of June, St John’s put out the call to local charities and clubs to apply for our Summer Holiday Activities Fund. After a selection process, we awarded £24,820 to 11 local organisations that offer opportunities for disadvantaged children. This money was specifically for the provision of activities for children, aged 0-12, from families that are vulnerable, at risk or isolated during the summer holidays.
Holiday activities are so important for reducing social isolation and helping children to stay happy and healthy. Our funding supports the positive work done by so many charities across Bath and North East Somerset so that children didn’t miss out this summer, as we begin to emerge from the worst of the covid crisis.
Some of the charities that were awarded money organised days out and activities day for children. First Steps spent their funding on a trip to Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm for the children and families from First Steps nursery and the Early Years Centre in Twerton. Off the Record organised summer activity days for young people who identify as LGBT+ or may be questioning their identity, while Southside Family Project organised outdoor play activities for children supported by the charity.
Others focused on the provision of sporting activities with Sporting Family Change spending their funding on a variety of multisports for vulnerable and isolated children. Bath City Football Club Foundation held an inclusive and mixed football camp for children aged 5-11.
Two of the charities used their funding for food provisions with Family Action hosting family-friendly healthy eating activities for Family Action FOOD Club members in Radstock. While Oasis Hub delivered food and enrichment parcels to low-income families.
The money was also spent on those families that were socially isolated. Peasedown Parochial Church Council used their grant for bouncy castles, craft activities, and refreshments for socially isolated families in Peasedown St John. Young Bristol delivered youth activities in areas of high social isolation (Keynsham, Pensford and Bishop Sutton) via Young Bristol’s mobile youth bus facility.
Julian House used their grant for fun, healthy and educational holiday activities for families recovering from the impact of domestic violence and abuse. VOICES similarly used their funding for those impacted by this issue and hosted an activity and a picnic for children they work with.
Foundation Fund
February 2020 saw St John’s launch its ambitious ten-year strategy, alongside the creation of the new Foundation Fund. Developed primarily to continue to support those people most in need within our region, it now has the specific aim of narrowing the Attainment Gap for Key Stage 2 children living in Bath and North East Somerset. Our manifesto echoes this commitment and we will be pumping funding into the key areas that best support children aged 0 to 12 years old and their families.
The areas we have identified are:
- Nutritious food every day
- A safe place outside of school
- Professional behavioural and emotional support
- Additional support with foundational reading, writing, oracy, and mathematics
Primary Empowerment Programme
Throughout 2021, we engaged with the 7 primary schools that have 40% of the most disadvantaged primary school children in Bath and North East Somerset to provide pupils with additional support with foundational reading, writing, oracy, and mathematics, as well as emotional support. These schools are:
- Castle Primary School, Keynsham
- Roundhill Primary School, Southdown, Bath
- St Keyna Primary School, Keynsham
- St Martin’s Garden Primary School, Odd Down, Bath
- St Mary’s School, Writhlington
- St Michael’s Junior Church School, Twerton, Bath
- Twerton Infants School, Twerton Bath
The Head Teachers of these schools and their respective Multi-Academy Trust Chief Executives have been invaluable in directing St John’s focus to exactly the type of support their disadvantaged children require. Expressing the pressures they are facing, the Head Teachers have made us realise there is no simple solution to narrowing the attainment gap, rather it has to be a holistic approach. All involved are committed to embedding the new interventions we have put forward, within their curriculum for the September 2021 term onwards.
Not surprisingly, with the pandemic continuing to make its presence felt, the work on the Primary Empowerment Programme has increased since January of this year. When we put out the call for potential delivery partners, we received 36 applications back. Our Head Teachers had the opportunity to assess and shortlist those they felt would most benefit their disadvantaged children. We are delighted to report that six delivery partners have been selected and will be embedded across their schools for the September term. These partners are:
It is St John’s overarching ambition to support all disadvantaged pupils living in Bath and North East Somerset. Going forward, we will be exploring how we can engage with more schools, building on the lessons learned from this pilot project.
Through its Foundation Fund, St John’s is financially supporting a brand-new initiative to support improving the speech and language outcomes for under 5s.
Launching this September, the Language for Life project will be delivered in partnership by Virgin Care and Bath and North East Somerset Council’s Early Years team. The project will focus on supporting pre-school children to reach age-related expectations in communication and language development before they transition into Primary School settings in Bath and Keynsham.
Language for Life will offer a refreshed, area-specific early years approach to speech and language development. With the support of a newly appointed Lead Speech and Language Therapist, Early Years practitioners will be offered the opportunity to adopt the Wellcomm communications and language toolkit; an evidence-based assessment and intervention programme designed for use by early years practitioners with no additional specialist skills needed.
David Hobdey, Chief Executive of St John’s Foundation said “The charity is excited to be a part of the Language of Life project, which was formally launched at an online event on the 6th July; it forms part of a suite of new programmes St John’s is supporting to address educational inequality in Bath and North East Somerset to ensure all children access the right start in life. Speech and language development in young children is critical and is fundamental in providing children with the communication skills they require to manage their emotions, behaviours and supports them to learn. Children from less advantaged backgrounds will typically have weaker speech and language skills than other more advantaged children, even at the age of two. The Language for Life project is aimed at children from 18 months of age; it is vital to address this gap at an early age since it widens and becomes increasingly harder to close as children age.”
Councillor Dine Romero, cabinet member for Children and Young People, Communities and Culture at Bath and North East Somerset Council, said: “This exciting project aims to equip early years practitioners with the specialist support and resources to really focus on closing the word gap that impacts on children’s later outcomes. We believe that all children deserve the best start in life and that’s what Language for Life is all about.”
Claire Galloway from Virgin Care who will be delivering the contract added “Following the successful launch event of Language for Life we are excited to continue to the next phase of the project working collaboratively with early years settings, families and the wider early years workforce. This is an amazing opportunity for us to work with our colleagues from partner agencies to make a real difference to the outcomes of children with speech, language and communication needs and their families”.
The Language for Life project is closely linked to the Foundation Fund’s Primary Empowerment Programme, which aims to support the development of primary school-aged children, providing additional support for reading, writing, oracy and mathematics as well as support with emotional and behavioural needs.
