St Monica Trust

17/10/2025

🎉 Earlier this month, our colleagues had a fantastic evening at the Care and Support West Awards!

We were there to celebrate Kate, Senior Care Assistant at our Charterhouse Care Home - St Monica Trust, who was a finalist in the ‘Nurse – Nurse Apprentice’ category. Kate attended the awards alongside her colleagues who nominated her, making the night even more special.

Kate was nominated for her incredible dedication, and it was wonderful to see her recognised at such a special event at Ashton Gate.

We’re so proud of Kate’s achievement and send our congratulations to all the other finalists and winners who make such a difference across the care sector. 👏

16/10/2025

We’re excited to be part of 3SG's Volunteer Fair tomorrow at the Apex Hotel in Bath. 🌟

Come and chat with our team to discover the many ways you can make a difference by volunteering with St Monica Trust. 💜

📅 When: Friday 17 October, 11.00am – 3.00pm
📍 Where: Apex Hotel Conference Centre, Charles Street, Bath BA1 2DA

Hosted by 3SG, the Volunteer Fair will bring together 40+ local charities, workshops, and networking opportunities.

We’re proud to be joining so many inspiring organisations at this fantastic event. See you there!

Find out more: https://bit.ly/VOLFAIR25

15/10/2025

Supporting the lives of older people in the West of England has been part of the vision of the St Monica Trust since it began over 100 years ago. Today our charitable giving team helps tackle a variety of issues by distributing hundreds of thousands of pounds to individuals, families and organisations across Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath & North-East Somerset.

Our aim is to help older people live independently in their own community for as long as possible. We do this by helping individuals with financial support through our Individual Giving Fund.

The feedback we receive from the recipients of these grants and their support workers demonstrates the importance of this work and the impact it can have on individuals' lives.

To find out more about our grants, please visit our website: https://www.stmonicatrust.org.uk/charitable-foundation/our-grants

14/10/2025

From thanksgiving services and harvest suppers to hymns and Pimm’s and wonderful entertainment, our residents have been coming together to celebrate Harvest time. 🌾

A big thank you to everyone who has contributed to our food bank collections. Your generosity is helping to support our local communities!

13/10/2025

The Chocolate Quarter has been delighted to host the Keynsham Snap and Stroll ‘Capturing Moments’ photography exhibition over the past few days. 📷

Keynsham Snap and Stroll is a local community group which supports wellbeing by bringing people together each week to enjoy the outdoors, learn more about photography, and make new friends.

With several of our residents proud members of the group, it’s been wonderful to see both our residents and the local community enjoying the exhibition.

Pop into The Chocolate Quarter today for a final look – it’s the last day to visit!

10/10/2025

We’re proud to be recognised as HIT Hero Employer of the Month for September! 🎉 A huge thank you to all our colleagues and apprentices who make our apprenticeship programme such a success.

🌟 Celebrating HIT Hero Employer – St Monica Trust🌟

St Monica’s Trust is a leading organisation recognised for its dedicated staff who go above and beyond to create meaningful relationships with residents and customers.

The Trust has truly embraced apprenticeships at every level - from foundation programmes to higher qualifications in Health & Social Care, Business Administration, Operations Management and Hospitality. Their commitment is clear, not only in the consistent support given to apprentices but also in the way they have championed apprenticeships to senior management, highlighting the lasting value of ongoing training and development.

Working closely with HIT Training Ltd, St Monica’s Trust has built a culture of continuous growth, ensuring every apprentice feels supported and able to thrive.

👏 Winning the HIT Hero Employer of the Month award is a fantastic recognition of the team’s dedication to people development and their passion for excellence.

09/10/2025

Say hello to our new gardening apprentices! 👋🪴

Last month, we were proud to welcome our very first cohort of gardening apprentices. Over the coming months, they’ll be learning from our expert team and gaining lots of hands-on experience.

We’re excited to have them as part of the team and contributing to the green spaces that bring joy to our residents and colleagues every day.

Make sure to give them a warm welcome when you spot them across our sites at Sandford Station, Cote Lane, and Westbury Fields.

👉 If you’d like to learn more about apprenticeship opportunities with us, contact our team on apprenticeships@stmonicatrust.org.uk or visit our website: https://www.stmonicatrust.org.uk/charitable-foundation/care-academy/apprenticeships

07/10/2025

We’re looking forward to the Care Show Birmingham starting tomorrow, and excited to see the winner of the Care Innovation Challenge revealed!

Good luck to all the Care Innovation Challenge semi-finalists:
⭐ Co-Pro GAME – Making Space
⭐ Sleep Well – David Grey
⭐ Age of Light Innovations – Dr Shelley James
⭐ Carpe Care – Anna O’Gara and Rachel Lamb
⭐ DentaBlue – Molly Baldini

Back in August, we welcomed all the semi-finalists to The Chocolate Quarter for a special day of innovation. Our residents and senior leadership team had the chance to hear their pitches first-hand and share feedback to help shape the next stage of their journey.

Plus, both David Grey and Dr Shelley James have been working closely with our residents to explore how we can get a better night’s sleep with their innovations.

We have been proud to play a role in supporting the semi-finalists on their journey and cannot wait to see what the future holds for their innovations.

📍 If you’re attending, make sure to visit them at Stand D13 on 8–9 October, and look out for our Director of Innovation, Paul Tisdale, who will also be speaking at the show.

Care Innovation Hub

06/10/2025

Last month, residents from Monica Wills House joined our Cote Lane residents for a wonderful ‘Come and Try the Organ’ session, led by members of the Bristol and District Organists’ Association. 🎶

Our historic organ, dating back to the 1890s, recently underwent a once-in-a lifetime restoration to ensure future generations will be able to enjoy it for years to come.

Our residents were treated to a fascinating talk that opened our eyes to just how remarkable and complex the organ really is – like having a full orchestra at your fingertips and feet!

Best of all, residents had the chance to play the newly refurbished organ themselves. The smiles on their faces said it all as they shared a truly memorable afternoon together.

04/10/2025

💜 Tomorrow is Age UK’s Silver Sunday – a national day to celebrate older people and help tackle loneliness through hundreds of free events across the country.

It’s a wonderful reminder of the importance of connection and community.

If you’d like to get involved, you can find an event near you here: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/services/silver-sunday/

It’s Age UK's Silver Sunday week! 🎉

This week, thousands of free events will be taking place across the UK to celebrate older people, from tea parties and concerts to dance classes, guided walks, and more! We can’t wait to see you there 💜

Find an event near you and join the celebrations this Sunday: https://bit.ly/3XU93a2

03/10/2025

This week, residents from across our sites enjoyed visiting two fantastic Bristol breweries – Left Handed Giant Brewing Co. and Bristol Beer Factory. From guided tours to tasting sessions, they learned more about the brewing process, the history of these local favourites, and what it really takes to turn hops into a perfect pint.

These visits are all part of our , where we’re following our own hops on their journey to becoming our co-produced centenary beer.

A huge thank you to both breweries for hosting us this week. The knowledge shared will help us shape our centenary beer, which we can’t wait to reveal later this month! 🍻

We’re excited to raise a glass to 100 years of St Monica Trust on 18 October at HopsFest, our mini festival to celebrate everyone who has contributed to the Hoppiness project so far, our hop harvest, and the first taste of our centenary brew.

Find out more 👉 https://www.stmonicatrust.org.uk/charitable-foundation/innovation/hoppiness

Hoppiness Brews Alive Activities