A Poetry for Wellbeing project for St John’s Winchester, led by Hampshire Poet Kathryn Bevis, has inspired residents and staff to write poems which will be published in a new book and publicly displayed around the residential development on Colebrook Street which is scheduled for completion during 2022.

The Poetry for Wellbeing sessions were designed by Kathryn and launched as a way for residents and staff to express themselves, celebrating their lives by writing about the places, people, and memories that matter most to them. As well as giving participants the opportunity to develop poetry-writing skills, the workshops and mentoring programme have encouraged a new community of emerging and experienced writers to come together, enabling connection and belonging at a time of increased social isolation.

The workshops ran once a week for six weeks, with Kathryn teaching participants how to translate their thoughts and feelings into poetry on the page. Since then, she’s been mentoring the poets, old and young alike, to hone and edit their work, making sure their poems are as good as they can be for publication and display. Many of these poems will be published in a new anthology. Enough copies will be printed for each resident and staff members, as well as for immediate neighbours, local libraries, schools, and prisons.

Kathryn is now herself in the process of writing a commissioned poem that will take its inspiration, ideas, and images from the work she’s done within the St John’s family and reflecting its values, as well as her discussions with residents, staff, volunteers. This poem will be permanently displayed on the new site. 

Clive Cook, Chief Executive at St John’s, commented: ‘We have been delighted by the response to this project. The workshops have really helped participants to come together as part of a community, learn how to write about the experiences they care about, and have the opportunity to have their poems publicly displayed.”

Kathryn Bevis added: ‘I’ve been touched and inspired by my experiences leading this Poetry for Wellbeing project within St John’s. I hadn’t realised what a close and loving community exists inside its walls and it’s been an absolute privilege to work with such talented, dedicated people, both residents and staff. The poems that have resulted from their imaginative engagement are beautifully varied. Each of these poems is as individual and alive as a face and each one demands something fresh from us. Some of these poems want to tell us their stories, others to reveal secrets, still others want to bless us, conspire with us, hold out a hand to us. I can’t wait until these poems find their permanent home inside the covers of our book and on the walls of St John’s new buildings.”

Kathryn is pictured here (right) with one of our residents who wrote a beautiful poem.

I Come From…

I come from bread and butter

at tea time, with jam decanted

to a china dish, and later

put back again into its pot.

I come from the Home Service on the wireless,

Children’s Hour at 5 o’clock with Uncle Mac

and Larry the Lamb, the 6 o’clock news

reported in sombre tones.

I come from nightmares,

German soldiers in the orchard behind our house…

I come from

the kitchen in the old scullery.

A tin bath hangs on the wall.

On Saturday nights it is taken down,

filled with hot water from the gas copper,

me first,

then my mum, then my dad

in front of the dining room fire.

I come from Mondays.

The copper is used again for the laundry,

sheets and shirts hung out on the line

then taken down, stiff as corpses

in the freezing east coast air.

I come from

meat in the pantry in a wired box,

and in summer butter in a bucket

hung above the water in our garden well.

I come from my mother’s songs around the house.

She bangs on the kitchen wall, then shouts

“Are you there, Mrs Faulkner?”

before walking down the garden for a chat.

I come from concentrated orange juice,

got from the Welfare, with coupons,

Virol from a teaspoon, Cod Liver Oil.

I’ve never seen an orange, nor a banana.

I am four years old.

I come from wartime.

I come from Lincolnshire.

St John’s Resident

We are expanding our Hand in Hand community-based wellbeing, signposting and befriending service so that anyone in the local community can now refer friends, neighbours or even customers into the service. This expansion follows three successful years of Hand in Hand supporting more than 300 local older people to live independently for longer.

We are calling on anyone who supports, socialises or works with local older people to act as a St John’s Hand in Hand Community Connector. A Community Connector simply puts older people in their local community in touch with the Hand in Hand service, who in turn can link them to activities and organisations that can help improve their quality of life. Linking people in this way helps create connections that can provide a safety net of social support to help people feel better about their wellbeing and where they live. 

Previously referrals could only be made via the three local GP practices, and that relationship is continuing. With the introduction of the Community Connector concept, we are now building on the success of the GP route to make it easier for people to access the Hand in Hand service. Local people can also refer themselves into the service, which is open to anyone aged 55 and over in the Winchester community and surrounding areas. 

Clive Cook, St John’s Chief Executive, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to expand and reshape our Hand in Hand service by inviting local people to act as Community Connectors and to encourage older people who might benefit from the service  to get in touch. 

“A Community Connector is someone who is sensitive to the needs of older people and wants to help. You can do that by spreading the word about our Hand in Hand service and encouraging people to self-refer. You may be a local retailer, a taxi driver, pharmacist, podiatrist or hairdresser. It’s easy to become a Community Connector and make a real difference – there’s no cost, no contract and no obligation, you just have to think about how we might be able to help improve the life of someone you know or come across.

“Our Hand in Hand service is suitable for any older person who could benefit from some additional support, including those who may have been shielding and have been socially isolated during the Covid-19 pandemic and would benefit from additional support to regain confidence and ‘bounce back’.

“We believe that everybody should live their life well, with enjoyment, friendship, independence and choice. Sometimes in later life these things can be easier achieved with a helping hand.” 

The Hand in Hand service is delivered mainly by highly-trained volunteers supported by full-time staff. Volunteers befriend and spend active time with members, signpost to services, encourage and support people to get together, and support friendship clubs.  

Referrals can be made via the website https://stjohnswinchester.co.uk/hand-in-hand/community-connectors/, by phoning 01962 827795 or emailing handinhand@wordpress-692511-2847271.cloudwaysapps.com

St John’s Chapel is looking splendid as it has a new “all- seasons” altar frontal.

“Before this we had a different altar frontal for each of the Church’s seasons – green for ordinary time, white for Christmas and Easter, purple for Lent and Advent, and red for Pentecost. Each altar frontal had matching pulpit fall, collections bags and vessel covers. These were starting to look a bit tired, especially the white one which had been water damaged.

The original plan was to gradually purchase four new frontals, I approached Mary Collings – Church Furnishings. They sent me samples for possible altar frontals, plus a sample for an all-seasons frontal. I showed the options to the Chapel community and we unanimously decided to have the all-seasons one. Not only does it look stunning and lightens the wood paneling of the Chapel, there is a practical element to it as well – changing the altar frontals is not easy and none of us are getting any younger!

While we were having the altar frontal made, we decided to get everything matching, from the collection bags to the pulpit fall, and the vessel coverings to the cushions. We then decided to get a new fair linen cloth for the altar and new altar linen.

Although the cost of all this was much more than was originally expected, we are all so pleased with the end result, and it will last Chapel many decades.” Alison Dobell, Chaplain.

If you would like to make a donation in thanksgiving or in memory of someone you know connected to the Alms Houses, please use the provided link: stjohnswinchester.co.uk/get-involved/fundraising/donate-now

This week, Business Administrator Evalynn Wills interviewed St John’s former Director Michael Jackson on his book, ‘Still Love Left: Faith and Hope in Later Life’.

Find out about Michael and his book by reading below:

Evalynn: Hi Michael, can you tell me what the book is about?

Michael: The book is about how to help people to age well, and how to draw on their spirituality as a means of strength. I want people who read the book to feel a sense of optimism about growing old, and I wanted to stress throughout, that there is a positive side to growing older. When I was at St John’s, I was struck by the fact that some people find it easier to age than others, and I was interested in what helps people to age well. I was ordained as a priest at St John’s, and that encouraged me to focus on how faith helps us, so the book looks at the ways in which we draw upon our faith in God to help us to grow old. I tried to do that in as wider terms as possible, so as to provide a support for as many people as possible.

Evalynn: Who or what influenced you to write the book?

Michael: I worked as Director at St John’s for 26 years, and since retiring in 2013 I have wanted to write the book. I have done a lot of talks on ageing over the years, and a number of workshops and retreats on ageing and spirituality. People have often asked me for copies of my notes, or copies of the materials that I was using, and I started to think it would be much easier if I wrote it up – so I decided to write a book. The book took a little longer than I thought. The trustees of the charity gave me a sabbatical in 2012, where I was going to write the book, but unfortunately my father fell ill, and I used a lot of this time caring for him.

Evalynn: You touch upon your own family members throughout the book. Is this something that was important to you?

Michael: I’m a great believer in rooting what one wants to say, in story and in relation to events that you’ve got a knowledge of. I was talking about old age, so it seemed logical for me to talk about my own parents ageing. I felt by using my parent’s experiences throughout, it gave the book an immediacy, and certainly as a priest when I’m preaching, I always try and relate what I want to say to the here and now. The book is dedicated to them.

Evalynn: How did your working experiences at St John’s help shape the book?

Michael: My experiences at St John’s had a huge influence on the book. I observed hundreds of people during my 26 years, so I got to know many residents over the years. I learnt a lot from observing them, how some people coped particularly well growing in old age. It may sound countercultural, but we talk a lot about people becoming ‘grown ups’, as if you level off and that’s it, but actually, in later life you can carry on growing. In the book, I spoke of a friend of mine who published her first book at the age of 90. You can go on sharing wisdom, and wisdom is not just what you know, it’s a much wider concept, it’s an ability to understand how the world works. Many older people have that in spades, and are able to share it, so I learnt a lot from the residents at St John’s.

Evalynn: How have you seen St John’s evolve over the years?

Michael: I can only speak from my knowledge, which runs up until 2013, and it has obviously changed since. One of the greatest things I think St John’s offers older people, is a sense of community. One of the problems in old age these days is loneliness, and St John’s offers a support network for that. If people draw on that, it can help to prevent loneliness, and you can feel part of a community that cares, and that’s not just the welfare staff supporting the residents, but it’s the residents supporting each other as well as the staff. A point I made in the book is how I was struck at Devenish House about how many of the carers were finding an almost surrogate grandparent in the people they were looking after. St John’s is a very all-encompassing community where residents and staff work and live alongside each other, as well as gain from each other.

Still Love Left: Faith and Hope in Later Life costs £9.99. You can order Michael’s book from any book retailer, and you can also order it or download it as an eBook from Amazon. The book was self-published and is also obtainable direct from Michael by emailing him at michaelianjackson222@gmail.com

Ivor grew up in Winchester, it was not an easy childhood, but his grandmother, who lived in Nun’s Walk in Winchester laid the foundations of his faith, and he trained for ministry at St Deiniol’s in Wales. In 2020 Ivor celebrated 50 years as a priest. In those years he served in Wales and the diocese of London, York, St Alban’s, Portsmouth, Truro, Argyll and of course Winchester, where he was an Honorary Chaplain at the Cathedral and assistant Chaplain at St John’s.

Ivor was a great reader and he was especially interested in history. He wrote a few books including, The Pilgrim Shrines of Scotland and one of England , as well as a history of his old school, Ealing College. He enjoyed travelling to many holy places such as Iona and Gozo.  

Ivor also had an extensive collection of detective DVD’s which he enjoyed from Midsummer Murders to Morse and Foyle’s War to Miss Marple’s.

Ivor was one of St John’s great character’s with gentle sense of humour and a warm face that could break in to a lovely smile.

May he rest in peace and rise in glory.

Below is a poem written about Ivor by one of St John’s Almshouses carers, Penny Parker.

Just Ivor

Ivor was a man of the cloth

And the people too.

Asked ‘shall I called you Reverend?’

He replied, ‘Just Ivor will do’.

Just Ivor with his impish smile

And wispy white hair.

Just Ivor a glimpse of the man

Always dressed in formal wear.

Just Ivor, the gossip authority:

Always got it true.

Knowing exactly what was what

Knowing exactly who was who.

Just Ivor, who’s voice shook the pews

With the stories he’d tell.

In spite of his hearty demeanor

He’d insist ‘I’m not very well.’

Just Ivor, with his passion for books,

Especially ones on crime

He’d interrupted ‘Poirot’ himself

Coughing through his dinner speech one time.

Just Ivor with his milky tea

Pen poised in hand:

Perfectly penned prolific letters

Sent far and wide across the land.

Just Ivor, who loved iced lattes,

Tea cake (cut in half)

That he brought from Marks & Spencer’s

Where he was known by all the staff.

To us you were not just Ivor

How we’ll miss this man.

Once met never forgotten.

Dismissed

With a kiss

On the hand