St John’s joins forces with national not-for-profit organisation, ImpactEd to evaluate its work supporting disadvantaged children in BaNES.
Determined to build a community where children are supported to grow up healthy, happy and educated, last February St John’s launched The Foundation Fund. This substantive 10-year fund, allocated finances and resources to be spent primarily on nutritious food projects; safe spaces; behavioural and emotional support and help with literacy and numeracy.
Evaluating the impact of The Foundation Fund is crucial to making sure that St John’s is using its resources in the best possible way and ensuring lasting change is being made in children’s lives.
Not-for-profit, ImpactEd, helps schools, charities and funders to properly evaluate impact and to see what is working best to improve outcomes for young people so partnering with them made perfect sense to St John’s. “After a thorough recruitment search, we are delighted that ImpactEd are to be our new evaluation partner. Our aim, when launching The Foundation Fund last year was to level the playing field when it comes to life chances and expectations of our children” said Sam Gillett, Head of Delivery and Impact at St John’s. “It’s crucial that we understand the impact of any projects we may support, so we can best direct our funds and resources to the most successful initiatives” he added.
Kristy Evers, Head of Impact Partnerships at ImpactEd was equally enthusiastic about the partnership. “We believe this is a great opportunity to help improve young people’s outcomes and life chances, which is at the core of our mission as an organisation. Evaluating and understanding the impact of interventions is crucial in supporting children as it helps us to understand what works and what doesn’t and so we can make more informed decisions as a result”
Among other things, the new partnership will be analysing direct and indirect consequences of the Fund, looking at whether the original objectives have been realised, as well as assessing what costs the results have been achieved at – as in are there wiser ways to allocate the money. Results of the St John’s/ImpactEd evaluation will be shared with stakeholders on a regular basis throughout the longevity of the Fund, making the work transparent and available to all.
Over the coming months, St John’s will be looking to engage with organisations able to support the Fund’s aims. The team has been working with local primary schools to develop The Primary Empowerment Programme, due to start in the new academic year; organisations that come on board will be awarded funding to deliver support to their chosen schools. This provision will cover emotional and behavioural support, as well as additional support with numeracy and literacy.
This Sunday marks the International Day of Education, which unlike ever before, is taking place during a global pandemic. With the majority of UK children currently being home-schooled, it seems more prescient than ever to celebrate the day and all it stands for.
We know that education is key to sustainable development – as defined by the Bruntland Commission Report as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Furthermore, it is crucial to providing children the opportunity to escape poverty and complex social issues. The closure of schools in 2020/21 is bound to have long-term effects on children. Many are already thought to be up to six months behind where they should be in their educational development. The gap in attainment between private and state schools continues to widen, as does the gap between disadvantaged children and their more affluent peers generally.
So what does this look like in real terms: In some deprived households, there will be multiple children trying to share one electronic device; in others there will be no devices available and, undoubtedly, no, or limited, internet access. But inequality in technology provision is just the tip of the iceberg. Single parent families, for example, are more likely to have limited time, support and finances. Additionally, there will be some families that are caring, and homeschooling, children with disabilities full-time. There are many families who are suffering and all deserve support.
Before we look at what is happening at a national level, we first need to get our own house in order and tackle the problems on our doorstep. Considering its affluent veneer, few are aware that Bath and North East Somerset currently sits second from last in the UK in the Education Attainment Gap listings. Many children and young people living in areas of our county are among the most deprived in the UK, perform significantly worse at all levels of the education system than those from our better off communities.
Determined to make a difference and to shake up the status quo, in February 2020 St John’s launched its Foundation Fund with the vision to build a community where every child from birth to 12 years old is supported to grow into a healthy, happy and educated member of our community.
Little could we have known about what was about to be unleashed on the world.
The Fund is structured around four key areas of focus; nutritious food daily; safe spaces to go outside of school; support for behavioural and emotional needs; extra educational support.
The extra educational support will be implemented in part via our Primary Empowerment Programme, which aims to drastically reduce the Key Stage 2 gap within the next nine years using our targeted funding. This gap in educational performance between disadvantaged pupils compared to their better-off peers, is the single most striking measure of inequality, placing BaNES in the bottom decile in the UK. This funding will provide financial support for foundational reading, writing, oracy and mathematics as well as speech and language to seven schools with a disproportionate number of disadvantaged pupils.
In December, we awarded our schools £7,000 each to be used for digital equipment to support learning. The schools we are initially working with are St Mary’s Church of England Primary School; Castle Primary School; Twerton Infant School; St Martin’s Garden Primary School; Roundhill Primary; St Michaels Junior Church School and St Kenya Primary School. How crucial the timing and importance of this funding was, was lost on no-one, given the knock-on effects of the pandemic and the sea-change nationally to remote, device-led learning.
In the next few months we will be looking to engage with partners that can support our Primary Empowerment Programme. These organisations will be awarded funding they can use to deliver support to the chosen schools in the new academic year. This provision will cover emotional and behavioural support, as well as additional support with numeracy, literacy, speech and language.
Although we still have a long way to go, we are working closely with the schools to better understand their needs, the current education challenges and how our support can best be provided. Partnership working has proved the most effective way to support those in-need and ensure resources are reaching the places where they will have the biggest impact for children.
David became Chief Executive in July 2018 and he leads St John’s by following the same open, collegiate and non-hierarchical based principles he has applied throughout his career. He leads by example, encouraging self-confidence in his colleagues to make the most of their strengths and to uphold the attributes embodied in St John’s values of trust, kindness and courage. David believes passionately in the importance of St John’s role in removing inequality of opportunity in its communities and in fulfilling its purpose to change lives, for good. Read David’s full bio.
A round-up of an extraordinary year
And what a year it’s been. Had someone read my palm back in January and told me how the year would unfold, I am sure I would have asked for my money back! Even more surprising is how everyone, all over the world, seems to have taken the restrictions in their stride and suddenly we find ourselves in December and almost at the close of the year. For once, the rather banal saying ‘where has the time gone? ‘ seems apt.
With more people than ever before relying on food banks and donations, this year has shone a spotlight on the crucial issue of food poverty affecting the UK. The impact of the pandemic has been vast and has forced many individuals into a position where they now have to seek help to feed themselves and their families. For many, 2020 has been full of difficulty and unimaginable challenges.
This ignited a fire in the belly of the #ENDFOODPOVERTY campaign which, famously, had the support of footballer and activist, Marcus Rashford, as well as large scale charities and organisations. This saw the issue discussed at national level, with realities of food poverty shared widely.
Closer to home, the Bath community was determined not to let local children go hungry over half term and so the BaNES Holiday Hunger Appeal was established; the public raised a staggering £55,000 in donations– undoubtedly, the most rapid public response to a local food crisis and a testament to the residents of Bath and North East Somerset.
Food Poverty is a crisis that must be addressed both locally and nationally and we need to do all we can do support families in Bath and the surrounding area during these unprecedented times. When St John’s was asked to be part of the BaNEs Appeal, we were delighted to be able to help.
We joined forces with BaNES 3SG and Welfare Support to distribute the money raised to community-led food projects which are making a real long-term impact on food poverty. The organisations awarded the money were FareShare South West, Mercy In Action – Action Pantry, Oasis Hub, Weston Welcome Cafe and Food Club, Southside Family Project and Family Action.
As food poverty became a prominent feature in the national news, it was also centre stage at St John’s. At the beginning of this year, we launched our Foundation Fund. Our overarching aim for this fund is to build a community where children are supported to grow up healthy, happy and educated. Presciently, one of the four key workstreams of the Fund is to provide children with nutritious food. To do this successfully, first we need to support the infrastructure of our partner charities that are delivering food on the front line. The money raised through the Appeal was essential in making this happen.
The #ENDFOODPOVERTY campaign and the BaNES Holiday Hunger Appeal have demonstrated that our ambitions are strengthened when we work alongside one another. And continuing in the spirit of partnership-working, we are also part of the Food Poverty Steering Group; this is a network led by BaNES Public Health team, where local food providers and key stakeholders come together to tackle food poverty. It appears that some ‘good’ has come about as a result of the pandemic with organisations seamlessly coming together to help create a lasting impact for our community.
With Christmas only days away, it’s crucial we continue to look after the vulnerable members of our society. Going forward, it is also essential that we continue to harness the power of partnership. Joint working has proved the most effective way to support those in-need and ensure resources are reaching the places where they will have the biggest impact. In the words of the inspirational American child poet Mattie Stepanek, Unity is strength…when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.
Louise Harvey is Executive Director of The Foundation Fund. St John’s has committed to focus funding over the next ten years to ensure every child under 12 is supported to grow into a healthy, happy and educated member of the Bath and North East Somerset community.
Louise has worked for St John’s for 17 years and uses her passion, energy and ‘no challenge too great’ attitude to break down barriers to bring the Third Sector, Education and Businesses together.
A fantastic opportunity to join the Board of Trustees at St John’s Foundation has arisen.
We are working with Moon Executive Search as our official recruitment partner to appoint two new members to our Board.
Moon Executive Search will play a key role in assisting us in our search, utilising their extensive networks and search methodologies. We are looking to source high-calibre individuals that can contribute to the development of our unique and interesting charity.
Ben Fletcher (Chair), said ‘We launched an ambitious and bold new 10-year strategy at the beginning of 2020 and this will build on the achievements of the previous five years that have extended St John’s charitable reach and strengthened our capability to support and influence the work of many other charities working in Bath and North East Somerset. Taking this further, we have tightened our focus and aim to achieve even greater impact on some of the biggest areas of social challenge faced by our region’.
These roles will be offered on a voluntary pro bono basis and will work closely with the existing Trustees and other Board members.
Moon Executive Search will be seeking CVs and Expressions of Interest over the next few weeks from prospective candidates with a keen enthusiasm for our new direction and who feel they will be able to contribute effectively as St John’s Foundation embarks on its’ ambitious new journey. We are particularly interested in hearing from you if you have skills or experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Investment management (including a strong understanding of the strategic significance of balancing portfolios across a range of different asset classes, including real estate, financial and other assets);
- Social and related support services for vulnerable people (especially children’s social services and where individuals have strong empathy with experiences that may have been gained by users of such services);
- Children’s development and education (Early Years and Primary School ages);
- General corporate or charity governance or work in a multi-disciplinary team environment in the charitable/not-for profit sector.
The search campaign is being managed by Sandy Hinks, Head of Charity Practice and Vanessa Moon, Director at Moon Executive Search.
To find out more, visit the job advert or request further information from recruit@moonexecsearch.com quoting Ref: JO2129 SJF
The Bath BID has launched a new website to support local businesses during lockdown.
We are delighted to share news of the Bath BID’s newly- launched website www.welcometobath.co.uk , designed to support local businesses during the second lockdown. For those not yet in the know, The Bath Business Improvement District (BID) is an independent, not for profit, business-led initiative working to create the environment for businesses in Bath to succeed.
The comprehensive website hosts a helpful guide of all Bath businesses and services currently trading and their opening hours. Essential companies, food and drink outlets and online shops are all showcased on the site, as well as the easiest way to purchase from them.
The website encourages those shopping in the area to do so safely, following the government’s COVID-19 guidelines.
If your business is still trading and isn’t currently featured on the site, please get in touch with the Bath BID to be included.
Following the launch of our new Holiday Food Grants Programme in June, we are pleased to confirm St John’s, together with Feeding Britain, have distributed over £30,000 in funding to twelve local organisations, which are tackling food poverty in Bath & North East Somerset during the Summer Holidays and in the future.
These tough times have created a fantastic amount of collaboration between the local authority, charities and schools, and this is evidenced by the response to this funding programme.
This summer holiday will see the most vulnerable families in BaNES having access to food, through a large variety of programmes, a number of which are offering face-to-face activities and advice where possible due to Covid.
We very much look forward to hearing how all the programmes have run and will share information on this in the Autumn.
Sam Gillett – Head of Delivery and Impact – St John’s Foundation
Each of the grants will support the provision of free healthy meals, physical activities and vital wrap-around support for vulnerable children and their families. This funding comes at a critical time, as many families, as well as the organisations working to support them, are struggling due to the impact of lockdown.
Many of the people we support through the Twerton and Whiteway Network have been hit very hard by lockdown – some have had their wages significantly reduced or lost their jobs, while others are isolated with minimal support. The funding from St John’s and Feeding Britain will enable us to support those most in need, and ensure they not only benefit from nutritious meals and physical activity, but also the support available in their community.
Tracey Pike – Twerton and Whiteway Connect
To discover how each project will be making an impact over the Summer Holidays in and the future, please see the grant recipient list below. We would like to take this opportunity to thank both Feeding Britain and Bath & North East Somerset Council for their contribution to the programme.
Projects awarded funding through Holiday Food Grants Programme
Bath Rugby Foundation – Summer Break Out
A partnership of multiple local agencies led by Bath Rugby Foundation delivering a programme of summer camps targeted at children and young people impacted by the Covid-19 lockdown. Camps will be delivered in Bath, Keynsham and Radstock, delivering healthy food, sport and social activities and expert advice around personal finance, career development and accessing local support networks.
Brightstart Children’s Centres – Brightstart Food Clubs
Brightstart Children’s Centres currently deliver around 100 emergency food parcel every week to families in need. The longer-term goal of the project is to move to three food clubs running from Keynsham Brightstart Children Centre, St Martins Brightstart Children Centre and Radstock Brightstart Children Centre. Funding will enable Bright Start to improve their infrastructure in order to expand the project sustainably whilst maintain high-quality provision to their beneficiaries.
Community at 67 – Keynsham South Takeaway Project
Proving sandwiches and cooked meals to vulnerable families in Keynsham. The project will enable Community at 67 to work more closely with other local services, including the Children’s Centre, Southside Family Project, the B&NES Compassionate Community Network and Castle Primary School.
Curo – Rainbow Summer Family Meals project at Dartmouth Avenue
Healthy food and positive activities for families at Curo’s temporary accommodation facility in Bath as well as for families in six dispersed flats across the Twerton area. Funding will also enable Curo to purchase a fridge freezer for storing food safely at Dartmouth Avenue.
First Steps, Free healthy meals for young children from low income families
This project will provide a free, nutritionally balanced midday meal to pre-school children of families who would, in future, qualify for free school meals. This project was considered to be particularly valuable as the statutory free school meals scheme does not apply to pre-school children.
Mercy in Action – Action Pantry Holiday Club
The Action Pantry is a frontline community project partnering with FareShare South West to provide families with children and young dependents with essential food, drink and hygiene products. The wider project is funded by St John’s on a multi-year basis and is heavily over-subscribed. Funding will enable to project to expand its provision through the summer holiday period.
Oasis Hub Bath – Food Parcel Project Extension
Oasis Hub’s ‘Make Lunch’ project, which provides healthy food to primary school-aged children and their families, has been unable to run as normal due to Covid-19. Although the project has adapted to deliver food packages to beneficiaries, funding is required to extend the project into August to meet demand. The charity will be launching a new food pantry project in September, so this funding will enable them to seamlessly continue their existing provision until then.
Oldfield School – Oldfield School Food Box Project
Funding for the delivery of food boxes to vulnerable families whose children attend Oldfield School. The focus will be on supporting families whose children do not qualify for free school meals but are nonetheless struggling as a result of the economic impact of Covid-19. This project will be delivered in partnership with the local Food Bank.
Southside Family Project – Family Food Hub Groups
The project will provide Summer Holiday Family Food Hub Groups attached to Southside’s four existing Community Hub Groups across Bath and North East Somerset. These groups will enable the charity to connect with children, young people and families over the holidays, provide a nutritious meal for them and to provide practical and emotional support as well as suggest activities for children to do with their parents.
St Martin’s Garden Primary School – Community Pantry
St Martin’s Community Pantry is the first part of a longer-term Hub model for the school around cooking, nutrition and fitness. It will enable the school to continue its provision of food to families that are just above the threshold for Universal Credit or otherwise struggling financially. The project will be delivered in close partnership with the Children’s Centre located on the same grounds as the school, FareShare South West and a local church.
SWALLOW – Food for Families
This project will utilise the facilities at SWALLOW cafe to produce food for local vulnerable families in Radstock over the summer holidays. The charity will prepare family-sized portions of healthy nutritious food in containers that can be taken away and reheated at home, along with recipe sheets to encourage families to cook their own meals at home. Beneficiaries will be identified by the family liaison at the neighbouring St Nicholas Primary School.
Twerton and Whiteway Network
A network of voluntary organisations has come together in the Twerton and Whiteway area during the Covid-19 pandemic to work together and support and empower the local community. Youth Connect, Bath City Farm, Timebank, Southdown Methodist Church and the Rose Cottage Hub will work together to provide food parcels, hot meals, advice and support sessions and physical activities for local families. The engagement from families will feed into the network’s longer-term development of a community plan for the Twerton and Whiteway area.
