Our rich history, and our exciting plans
We have long been embedded in the Winchester community. We are a local charity with an incredibly rich history and a thoroughly modern outlook. Our past and present are deeply interwoven with the city of Winchester, and we have cared for thousands of local people over the centuries. The charity has a deep-rooted caring culture, anchored by strong values, as well as being organisationally strong and innovative.
We now plan to expand our care and support in a sustainable way for the benefit of older people in the Winchester area. We want to be a first port of call for older people in Winchester who want to live well in supported communities, live well in their own communities and who need excellent care and support to live well with dementia.
Expansion and improvement of the almshouse accommodation
We are well underway with a plan to reform 20 of our almshouses to provide design features to better support independent living, such as wet rooms and level access.
Work at our new Colebrook Street site is moving ahead at pace. This development will see 15 new almshouses linked directly to our existing city centre community, comprising a state-of-the-art block of fully adapted apartments to enable older people to live independently for as long as possible. The new and older almshouses will sit in a landscaped area and the development will bring the added benefit of the reformation of a character building, namely 108 Colebrook Street. The new almshouses will benefit from level access, wet rooms and other features designed to support older people in independent living. There will also be green roofs, roof terraces, open access galleries and secure, sensitive landscaping designed to support community life.
Clive Cook, Chief Executive, said: “The Colebrook Street site will allow the St John’s almshouse community to endure and flourish within a modern setting, with occupiers of the new units having the opportunity to integrate into our existing community. The development presents a rare opportunity to build adapted, affordable and sustainable accommodation in a great location in the city centre to support older people of limited means.”
Dementia Support service coming soon
In the Autumn, we will be launching a dementia service with two Admiral Nurses and two Dementia Advisors. The service aims to support those living with dementia to live well as independently as possible, and to support their carers and families. St John’s has been working alongside Dementia UK to develop this specialist dementia service.
In time, we plan to create a community hub where families and those living with dementia will be welcomed and supported.
Homeshare service under consideration
We are actively considering launching a homeshare service in Winchester and the surrounding area. Homeshare brings together local people with spare rooms with people who are happy to chat and lend a hand around the house in return for affordable, sociable accommodation. Together, householders and home sharers share home life, time, skills and experience.
Homeshare offers many benefits; the scheme helps you stay independently at home for longer, it provides affordable accommodation at a time of record housing shortages and high rent, and gives you and your loved ones peace of mind.
A word from our chair
St John’s Chair of Trustees, Roger Bright, said: “We are at a very exciting stage of the charity’s growth; we have much work to do and are determined to forge ahead with our plans to develop our services to benefit more local older people in financial, social or emotional need. Our new strategy spells out our expansion plans in several key areas, including building on the great success of our Hand in Hand community outreach and social prescribing service by launching further dementia and other services to support local people.”
