On 1 February 2024 Her Majesty The Queen visited St John’s Foundation to mark the 850th anniversary of St John’s Foundation in Bath.
HRH Queen Camilla began her visit to Bath by meeting St John’s almshouse residents for tea and cake in the charity’s chapel, St Michael Within.
“It was an absolutely delightful day. Her Majesty exuded kindness towards each of us. She took a genuine interest in our lives, talking to us all individually and asking thoughtful questions. To have such a personal interaction with her was quite honestly was a cherry on the cake for my life.”
Islay, resident at the St. John’s Foundation almshouses
Photo credit L, C, R: Anna Barclay
HRH then made her way through the centre of Bath to arrive at Bath Abbey where she was greeted in the courtyard by over 600 school children from five of the local schools that St John’s works with.
Within the Abbey, over 600 guests gathered for a Service of Celebration that paid tribute to the history and impactful legacy of St John’s Foundation over the last eight and a half centuries. Attendees included many of the charity’s direct beneficiaries, including older adults residing in the charity’s almshouses and local school children supported by its initiatives.
Photo credit L, C, R : Anna Barclay
Guests heard a performance of ‘A Million Dreams’ and ‘Sing’ from the Voices for Life choir. The choir which was made up of 90 year 4 pupils from the local schools St John’s works with, was created specifically for the occasion.
Following an address which outlined St John’s future ambitions, CEO David Hobdey invited Her Majesty up to unveil the charity’s commemorative 850th plaque. The plaque will be laid within St John’s city centre courtyard, a place which has been the charity’s home for the last 850 years. Her Majesty, as Duchess of Cornwall, became Patron of St John’s Foundation in 2009. Her Majesty last saw the work of St John’s Foundation during a visit in February 2022 to Roundhill Primary School.
Reflecting on the service, David Hobdey says:
“It was an honour to have Her Majesty The Queen join us today to celebrate our 850th anniversary. Her Majesty’s attendance made a very special day even more poignant, and we are so grateful to her for taking the time to meet our residents and join our Service.
It’s an incredible achievement to reach 850 years and humbling to think of all the historic events and upheavals that St John’s has survived. We are thankful to everyone who attended to help us mark this occasion. St John’s Foundation’s mission is to keep driving forward to continue addressing the needs in our community and changing lives, for good, for the next 850 years.”
Photos credit: Anna Barclay
Guests were invited to remain in the Abbey for a reception following the Service, where they heard from Executive Head of St Michael’s Church Junior School, Clare Greene, who spoke about the impact St John’s Foundation has had on local under-served pupils.
St John’s Foundation will be hosting several events later in the year to continue the 850th celebrations. These will aim to involve as many people in the community as possible, especially the charity’s direct beneficiaries, and raise awareness of St John’s work in Bath and North East Somerset.
About St. John’s Foundation
Established in 1174, St John’s Foundation is the oldest charity in Bath and 11th oldest in England. For 850 years, St John’s Foundation has been changing people’s lives, for good. As one of the UK’s oldest charities, they are proud to serve Bath and the surrounding area.
But they are still facing many of the same problems today as we have been throughout the centuries. It’s a dilemma that prompted the charity to launch 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. St John’s is determined to narrow the primary school educational attainment gap, which is particularly acute in the BaNES area. Alongside this, they continue their long-standing work providing older people with housing and outreach services. With older adults now outnumbering younger people in the region, it’s more important than ever to foster an age-friendly community, promoting independent living for longer.
By addressing the needs of under-served young people, they believe they can change the direction of their lives, so that when they’re older, they won’t need us. The 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. St John’s 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 they’re unwavering.
posted 8 February 2024
Top photo credits: Beata Cosgrove Photography and Anna Barclay