Where are we now?
We have long been embedded in the Winchester community. We are a local charity with an incredibly rich history. Our past and present are deeply interwoven with that 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, that supports our mission.
We are a modern, organisationally strong and innovative charity. We will now expand our care and support in a sustainable way for the benefit of older people in the Winchester area.
Where do 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 currently investing heavily in our almshouse accommodation. We are well underway with a plan to reform 20 of our almshouses as and when they become vacant, to provide design features to better support independent living, such as wet rooms and level access. Meanwhile, preparatory works at our Colebrook Street site began in March 2021.
This development will see 15 new almshouses being linked directly to our existing city centre community, comprising of 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. The developments will benefit from green roofs, roof terraces, open access galleries and secure, sensitive landscaping designed to support community life.
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 of limited means. 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 which launched last year.”
Clive Cook, Chief Executive, said: “St John’s has a long history of over nine centuries, and the new units will ensure we can continue to support older people in the community in a sustainable way. 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 and affordable accommodation in a great location in the city centre to support older people of limited means. Forging ahead is a high priority for the charity and will benefit all in the community.”
