St Monica Trust

03/04/2026

Happy Easter from St Monica Trust! 🐰

We are wishing everyone a wonderful and fun-filled Easter period, filled with relaxing, great company and lots of chocolate! 🍫

02/04/2026

🌟 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗮𝘁 𝗥𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲! 🌟

We are looking for passionate, motivated individuals to join us in our brand-new positions.
At St Monica Trust, we create communities where older people truly flourish. Built on care, expertise, and genuine human connection. If you’re committed to supporting people to live well and independently, we’d love to hear from you.

The roles:
Physiotherapist
✅ Working as part of our team of Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Therapy Assistants to deliver high-quality assessments, rehabilitation, and therapy support for residents.
📅 Full time (Monday to Friday)
🕘 £23.47 per hour
🔗 Find out more: https://stmonicatrust.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/External/job/Sandford-Station-Russets-Sherwood-Care-Home-BS25/Physiotherapist_JR102393

Physiotherapy/ Occupational Therapist Assistant
✅ Working alongside our Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists to deliver hands-on therapeutic support, helping residents stay active, independent and engaged.
📅 Part-time, 22.5 hours per week (Wednesday to Friday)
🕘 £13.64 per hour
🔗 Find out more: https://stmonicatrust.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/External/job/Sandford-Station-Russets-Sherwood-Care-Home-BS25/Physiotherapy-Occupational-Therapy-Assistant_JR102396

Roles are based at Russets and Sherwood Care Home, Sandford Station, North Somerset, and are closing 20 April.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with our Recruitment Team recruitment@stmonicatrust.org.uk 📧

02/04/2026

There wasn’t a dry eye in Garden House Care Home, as residents, colleagues and friends gathered to bid an emotional farewell to Fran Ashby.

Fran joined the St Monica Trust in 2014 and became General Manager of Garden House in 2017, leading the care home with distinction throughout the pandemic.

Never shy in coming forward, Fran’s leaving do saw her belting out the hits from her personal playlist accompanied by a live pianist, as well as speeches, a highlights reel, a poem written by residents and lots and lots of hugs. The event ended with an impromptu serenade to Fran from a member of her care team! 🎶

In retiring, Fran is calling time on a nursing career spanning more than 40 years and including work as varied as training women to be home carers in Cape Town, South Africa. Fran is now looking forward to spending more time with husband, Alan, her children and grandchildren.

Fran, you are genuinely a one-of-a-kind and an inspiration to us all. We wish you all the very best with your retirement! ❤️

01/04/2026

Did you catch us and our All Together Now project on ITV News West Country yesterday? 📺

It was wonderful to see the real impact this programme is already having – including for Terrance, who now has a space to connect with people and have fun.

All Together Now uses art and culture to reduce loneliness across the West of England and is helping thousands of people feel less isolated, one community at a time.

Watch the full story here ➡️ https://www.itv.com/watch/news/arts-and-culture-programme-tackling-loneliness-epidemic/wvsmcty

🔗 Find out more about All Together Now: https://impact-alliance.org.uk/all-together-now

Watch the latest from ITV News - The new arts and culture programme aiming to tackle the epidemic of loneliness in the region and help thousands of people feel less isolated.

01/04/2026

Our Charterhouse Care Home - St Monica Trust residents recently enjoyed a visit from a wonderful furry friend. ❤️

Through our Charterhouse Make-A-Wish project, one of our dear resident’s wishes came true - in the form of a gentle donkey called Romeo. ✨

As he ambled through, their smile lit up the room. They explained: ‘This is the best thing that's happened to me all year, thank you!’

Moments like these remind us all of how the simple joys can make the biggest difference whilst making connections and lasting memories to cherish.

31/03/2026

🏡 Take a tour of John Wills House Care Home from the comfort of your own home 🏡

We’re thrilled to share our new 360-degree virtual tour, now live on our website. Step inside and explore the warm, vibrant spaces that make John Wills House care home such a special place to live. 🩵
Rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission, John Wills House is more than just a care home. It’s a real family community, and now you can see exactly why.

Whether you’re exploring options for yourself or a loved one, our virtual tour is the perfect first step. Take a tour today ➡️ https://www.stmonicatrust.org.uk/johnwillshouse-tour

30/03/2026

🍀 Residents at Monica Wills House retirement village celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in style 🍀

Everyone came together for a wonderful fundraising party, filed with delicious treats, drinks, games, and plenty of laughter, all in aid of wonderful cause.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of everyone involved, £332 was raised for MND Association charity. Every penny makes a difference. A huge thank you to all that took part. 💚

27/03/2026

All Together Now is launching across the West of England to address loneliness, and we’re excited to be part of it!

Over the next two and a half years, the programme will help 4,000+ people feel more connected through music, drama, storytelling, craft, dance and photography. Communities in Stockwood, Charfield, Somer Valley and the Mendip Villages will shape what happens, alongside older people from Global Majority backgrounds and disabled young people.

All Together Now is the flagship programme of the West of England Impact Alliance, a collaboration of more than 50 organisations working together to address loneliness with long-term regional impact. The programme is being led by the St Monica Trust and delivered by a consortium of local partners headed by Bristol Beacon.

The £1.1 million in funding comes from the St Monica Trust, Arts Council England, The West of England Combined Authority, Bristol Beacon, The Grateful Society, and Sirona care & health.

Our Chief Executive, David Williams, said: “The challenge of making meaningful change within our communities is highly complex and cannot be achieved by a single funder, organisation or sector.

“Through the St Monica Trust’s partnership with local communities, charities and other organisations, initiatives like All Together Now can address the causes of loneliness and maximise our impact, rather than individual grants acting as a sticking plaster for societal issues.”

Find out more here: https://impact-alliance.org.uk/all-together-now

Read the press release here: https://www.stmonicatrust.org.uk/our-expertise/news-and-blog/2026/new-1-1-million-creative-programme-launches-to-address-loneliness-in-the-west-of-england

26/03/2026

We are proud to have been featured by Skills for Care in their new practical approach toolkit series – a national resource helping adult social care providers tackle one of the sector’s biggest challenges: attracting and keeping young talent.

The toolkit provides a detailed look at how St Monica Trust redesigned recruitment, onboarding and ongoing support to better meet the needs of younger people. It also shines a light on the work we’ve been doing to help young people start and build meaningful careers in social care, including those who have faced barriers to employment.

From mentoring to flexible learning, to making sure every apprentice knows there’s a future for them. It’s been a journey of learning and listening, and it’s making a real difference.
Reflecting on why Skills for Care chose to showcase our work, Rob Hargreaves, Central Engagement Lead at Skills for Care, said:

“St Monica Trust has demonstrated what can happen when organisations look beyond traditional recruitment and really think about what young people need in order to thrive. Their approach is thoughtful, realistic, and rooted in day to day practice.”

“Young people bring energy, potential and long term value to the sector, but only if we help them settle, learn, and feel confident early on. St Monica Trust recognised that, and built a model where pastoral support, trauma informed practice and practical adjustments are just part of how they work. It’s not a separate programme - it’s embedded in their culture.”

We are so pleased that our work is being shared nationally so other care providers can learn from, and build on, our experience.

Read the full toolkit here ➡️ https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Support-for-leaders-and-managers/Practical-approach-toolkits/Practical-approaches-toolkits.aspx

25/03/2026

We are so proud to share the incredible difference that has been made to older people across Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

Together with The Dolphin Society, St Monica Trust jointly funded two advice worker posts – one hosted by Age UK Bristol and one by Age UK South Gloucestershire. Each post delivered specialist advice to older people on benefits, housing, energy, social care, and more, reaching some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.

At a time when the cost-of-living crisis continues, this kind of specialist, person-centred advice can be truly life-changing for older people. We’re absolutely delighted with everything both organisations have achieved, and we look forward to continuing our strong partnership with them in the future.

24/03/2026

What an incredible afternoon of fundraising at Westbury Fields retirement village! 🎶

This weekend, Westbury Fields hosted a fantastic live music and charity fundraising afternoon with the amazing Daz's Rock 4 Charity, raising an incredible £1,000.14!

Daz and the team are training hard for the London Marathon 2026 🏃 – all funds raised from this event and the marathon go towards Variety the Children's Charity of Great Britain, to help provide a brand-new Sunshine Coach minibus for children who need it most.

Thank you to everyone who came along, donated, and made the day so special. Every penny makes a real difference. ❤️

If you’d like to donate to the cause, please visit ➡️ https://www.justgiving.com/page/dazsrock4charityteam2026

23/03/2026

Last week we celebrated the retirement of Chris Leslie, who has dedicated 34 remarkable years to St Monica Trust. ❤️

Chris’ contribution to Cote Lane retirement village is truly immeasurable. As a Porter, he has been a beloved fixture - always helpful and knowledgeable and ready to lend a hand.

When asked about his favourite part about working at St Monica Trust, Chris reflected:

“Job satisfaction is high on the list when it comes to favourite things. I drove the minibus for my first 23 years here and I would lose count of the number of times residents said, ‘thank you.’!”

“I’ve been lucky enough to work with some great people throughout my time here and for that I am extremely grateful.”

We are incredibly thankful for everything Chris has given to St Monica Trust. His dedication, his warmth, and his unwavering support. We wish him all the very best for a well-deserved retirement.