St John's Foundation
St John's Foundation is a Bath-based UK charity founded in 1174, providing affordable almshouse housing for older adults (65+), social and creative activities for people aged 55+, crisis grants for those in financial hardship, and children's education programmes across Bath and North East Somerset.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersBath, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What St John's Foundation does
St John's Foundation is a registered UK charity (No. 201476), founded in 1174 by Bishop Reginald Fitzjocelyn in Bath, making it one of the oldest continuously operating charities in the country. Governed by a sole corporate trustee (St John's Hospital Trustee Limited) under a Board of Trustees and with HM The Queen as Patron, the foundation provides four core service streams across Bath and North East Somerset: affordable almshouse accommodation (94 self-contained flats for adults aged 65+ in financial need, with a dedicated Good Living support team and 24/7 emergency call system); a weekly programme of over 1,000 classes annually for adults aged 55+ covering yoga, art, Pilates, dance, and social sessions; a Crisis Programme distributing one-off grants to individuals and families facing financial hardship (£215,000 distributed to 546 beneficiaries in 2025); and the Best Start in Life children's education programme (1,561 children across seven primary schools), which is concluding in 2025.
The foundation operates an unconventional hybrid model: charitable activities are funded primarily through its historical property endowment and investment portfolio rather than public fundraising, with an annual subsidy of approximately £18,000 per resident. A wholly-owned trading subsidiary, St John's Hospital Trading Company, runs commercial hospitality operations — the House of St John's co-working and events space at 1 Queen Square and ten luxury short-stay apartments at St Catherine's — with profits covenanted back to the charity. Distribution combines direct applications (housing via Homesearch portal, activities via phone/website booking) with professional referral channels (crisis grants through housing associations, council social care, Citizens Advice). The customer base is regional (Bath and North East Somerset) and entirely non-commercial: individual beneficiaries, schools, and partner charities rather than enterprise customers.
In 2025-2026 the foundation is executing a £5 million three-year capital programme to expand almshouse capacity from 94 to approximately 109-110 units, has relocated its headquarters from Chapel Court to 1 Queen Square (April 2026) to enable further conversion of heritage buildings, and has installed a new permanent CEO (Catharine Brown, appointed January 2025) alongside four new trustees with investment and sector expertise. The organisation employs 11-50 staff and derives income from rental, trading subsidiary profits, investment returns, and limited fundraising, with no publicly disclosed total revenue figure.
St John's Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- St John's Foundation
- Legal name
- St John's Foundation
- Website
- https://stjohnsbath.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- St John's Foundation is a Bath-based UK charity founded in 1174, providing affordable almshouse housing for older adults (65+), social and creative activities for people aged 55+, crisis grants for those in financial hardship, and children's education programmes across Bath and North East Somerset.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
St John's Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Charitable Social Housing and Community Services
- NAICS
- Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (6233), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Other Community Housing Services (624229)
- SIC
- Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Affordable / Middle-Market CCRCs (HLADAEAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF), Senior Social Clubs & Community-Based Day Programs (Non-Clinical) (HSABANAK), Market-Rate Independent Living (Private Pay) Communities (HLADAAAA)
Keywords
Where St John's Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bath
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
St John's Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Almshouse rental income: Affordable housing rental from almshouses for older adults aged 65+ who receive Housing Benefit or housing element of Universal Credit
- Trading Company commercial operations: St John's Hospital Trading Company operates House of St John's (co-working and events space at 1 Queen Square) and St Catherine's luxury apartments (10 short-stay apartments). Profits are reinvested into the charity's mission.
- Crisis Programme grants: Provides one-off grants to individuals and families facing financial hardship for essential items including rent arrears, utility bills, white goods, furniture, and counselling
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Affordable almshouse housing for residents 65+ |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Activity classes for adults 55+ |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Crisis Programme grants |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
St John's Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
St John's Foundation provides affordable almshouse accommodation for older adults aged 65+ in financial need across two sites in Bath, alongside an activities and classes programme for adults aged 55+, one-off Crisis Programme grants for individuals and families facing hardship, and the Best Start in Life children's education initiative. A wholly-owned trading company operates commercial venues (House of St John's co-working/events and St Catherine's short-stay apartments) whose profits are reinvested into the charity's mission.
Product overview
St John's Foundation is a charity offering three core service areas: almshouse accommodation for older adults aged 65+, an activities and classes programme for people aged 55+, and a Crisis Programme providing financial grants. The organisation also runs a Best Start in Life initiative supporting children's education, which includes the Language for Life and Primary Empowerment programmes. Its trading company operates commercial ventures including the House of St John's (co-working and events space) and St Catherine's Hospital (luxury short-stay apartments), with profits reinvested into the charity's mission. The Good Living Service provides ongoing support to almshouse residents.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Almshouses
Quantifiable outcome
- 96% of residents feel safe and secure
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use St John's Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
St John's Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
St John's Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- 3SG (Third Sector Group)coreCore funding to support the Director role at 3SG, an umbrella organisation for the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector in Bath and North East Somerset.
- Ageing Well NetworkcoreFunding to continue supporting Ageing Well Bath and North East Somerset network, which brings together organisations working on older people's issues.
- Age UK Bath and North East SomersetcorePartnership to build Bath and North East Somerset as an age-friendly community, working together on initiatives for older adults.
- ReMindminorFunding supported ReMind's Healthy Brain Clinic, providing cognitive support services.
- Pets As TherapyminorPets As Therapy sessions held for almshouse residents, providing emotional support and social connection.
- CurominorPartnership to end furniture poverty, providing essential household items to those in need through the Crisis Programme.
- Brighter FuturescorePartnership to deliver Early Nurture Service supporting children's social, emotional and mental health needs in nursery and pre-school settings across Bath and North East Somerset.
- Local Primary Schools (7 schools)coreBest Start in Life programme partners with 7 primary schools serving 40% of region's most under-served children: St Martin's Garden Primary, St Michael's Junior Church, Twerton Infant, St Keyna Primary, Roundhill Primary, Castle Primary, and St Mary's Church of England Primary.
- Community Food OrganisationscorePartnership with organisations to rescue and distribute 96,970kg of food across Bath and North East Somerset (equivalent to 230,880 meals) for families experiencing food insecurity.
- CW DukeminorContractor carrying out 14-month heating and water systems replacement project at Combe Park almshouses (2025).
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights3 records
St John's Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Methodist Homes (MHA): One of the largest charitable providers of care, housing, and support services for older people in the UK. Comparable as a faith-rooted charity providing residential care and housing for older adults, though at significantly greater scale and with more developed care services.
- Housing & Care 21: Large national not-for-profit provider of retirement living and extra care housing for older people in England. Comparable as a specialist older-adult housing provider, though operating at much greater scale and geographic breadth than St John's regional almshouse model.
- Sanctuary Housing: One of the UK's largest not-for-profit housing associations providing affordable housing including specialist accommodation for older people. Comparable as a major affordable housing provider serving low-income populations, though at national scale rather than Bath-focused.
Regional players
- LiveWest: Large housing association operating across the South West of England including Bath and North East Somerset. Comparable as a regional affordable housing provider with similar geographic overlap to St John's Foundation in the Southwest, including older-adult housing provision.
Direct peers
- Curo Group: Bath-based housing association providing affordable housing and supported living across the West of England. Already a partner of St John's Foundation for furniture poverty initiatives. Directly comparable as a regional affordable housing provider serving similar low-income populations in the same geographic market.
- ExtraCare Charitable Trust: Charity operating retirement villages and housing with care for older adults across the UK. Comparable as a charitable older-adult housing and wellbeing provider offering integrated housing, activities, and care services similar to St John's almshouse-plus-activities model.
- Brighter Futures: Local charity partner of St John's Foundation delivering Early Nurture Service in Bath and North East Somerset. Comparable as a small regional charity serving children and families with social/emotional needs in the same geographic market.
- Age UK Bath and North East Somerset: Local Age UK charity serving older adults in Bath and North East Somerset. Already a strategic partner of St John's Foundation. Comparable as a regional charity providing services, advice, and activities for older adults in the same geographic catchment.
Others
- The Almshouse Association: National umbrella body representing almshouse charities across the UK. While not a direct operational peer, St John's sits within this network as one of the largest almshouse providers, and the Association serves as the sector representative body and benchmarking source.
Emerging players
- Citizens Advice Bath and North East Somerset: Local advice charity operating in the same region as St John's Foundation and serving as a referral partner for the Crisis Programme. Comparable as a regional support service for people experiencing financial hardship in the Bath area, with overlapping beneficiary populations.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
St John's Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceSt John's Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
St John's Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
St John's Foundation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
St John's Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
St John's Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about St John's Foundation
What does St John's Foundation do?
St John's Foundation provides affordable almshouse accommodation for older adults aged 65+ in financial need across two sites in Bath, alongside an activities and classes programme for adults aged 55+, one-off Crisis Programme grants for individuals and families facing hardship, and the Best Start in Life children's education initiative. A wholly-owned trading company operates commercial venues (House of St John's co-working/events and St Catherine's short-stay apartments) whose profits are reinvested into the charity's mission.
Is St John's Foundation a public or private company?
St John's Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was St John's Foundation founded?
St John's Foundation was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is St John's Foundation based?
St John's Foundation is headquartered in Bath, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does St John's Foundation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Almshouse rental income is the primary driver. The others are trading Company commercial operations and crisis Programme grants.
Who are St John's Foundation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Methodist Homes (MHA), Housing & Care 21 and Sanctuary Housing. LiveWest is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Curo Group, ExtraCare Charitable Trust, Brighter Futures and Age UK Bath and North East Somerset. The Almshouse Association is listed as an others. Citizens Advice Bath and North East Somerset is listed as an emerging player.
Does St John's Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for St John's Foundation.
What industry is St John's Foundation in?
St John's Foundation's product category is Charitable Social Housing and Community Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLADAEAJ, Affordable / Middle-Market CCRCs, with a secondary code of BPAGAEAF, Elder Services & Aging Support. Its NAICS code is 6233 and its SIC code is 8050.