Bath’s oldest charity appoints new CEO as it prepares for ‘next chapter’

St John’s Foundation is more than 850 years old and supports older adults in financial need

Bath’s oldest charity has appointed a new chief executive as it prepares to expand its work across the city. Laura Alexander has taken the helm of St John’s Foundation just 19 months after her predecessor, Catharine Brown, took up the job.

St John’s is more than 850 years old and works with housing and outreach services to help older adults in financial need to live independently for longer. It also runs a grants programme aimed at supporting individuals and families who have reached financial crisis across Bath and North East Somerset.

Ms Alexander joined the charity in 2023 to lead its commercial arm – St John’s Hospital Trading Company. She was later appointed director of operations, spearheading a more strategic approach to the charity’s extensive property portfolio.

Her appointment comes as St Joh’n’s prepares to create new almshouses in the centre of Bath and invest in existing homes in a bid to provide more safe, secure and affordable accommodation to older people.

“Over [the last] three years, I have had the opportunity to work with some truly brilliant teams and to see first-hand the very real, human impact their work has on our residents and the wider community,” said Ms Alexander.

“We’re at an important point for St John’s. With an ageing population and increasing pressure on affordable housing, the need for what we do is growing.”

She added: “For me, the opportunity now is to build on that incredible heritage while being forward-thinking and ambitious about the role St John’s can play in the future. It’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly, and I’m incredibly excited about what we can achieve together.”

The board of trustees said Ms Alexander’s promotion to chief executive comes at “an important point in the charity’s development”.

“Over the last three years, we have seen first-hand the enormous contribution Laura has made to both St John’s Foundation and our trading company,” the board said in a statement.

“Laura brings a clear vision for where St John’s needs to go next while understanding and respecting what makes the organisation so special. We are delighted to appoint her to lead St John’s into its next chapter.”