Kathryn Fox-Rogers
Managing Director
Johnnie Johnson Housing
Johnnie Johnson – Continuing to support the Armed Forces
Representatives from Sanctuary Housing Association, Johnnie Johnson Housing and SSAFA gathered at the National Arboretum to celebrate the partnership of Sanctuary Housing and Johnnie Johnson Housing, marking the partnership with a £200,000 donation to the Armed Forces Charity, SSAFA.
It is extraordinary that Johnnie Johnson had a thought all those years ago about a post JJH world, in one where the Housing Association wouldn’t maybe last forever. Having the thought to put aside this amount of money to be donated to SSAFA and having the generosity to think what would help others in the event of the business not existing, is remarkable.
The Johnnie Johnson legacy
Turning to our Founder, James Edgar ‘Johnnie’ Johnson. Johnnie was one of the most highly decorated Royal Air Force pilots. He left the RAF in 1965 and went on to achieve quite a lot in his later years! Established in 1969, Johnnie’s ambition was to build and manage high quality homes for older veterans. We continue to respect our heritage of housing older persons, and work with partners to support the Armed Forces Communities.
When he founded the charitable Housing Trust, Johnnie started from scratch and enlisted his former RAF colleagues, such as Sir Douglas Bader, to form the first voluntary Board. Johnnie left the business after 20 years with nearly 4000 properties, housing older people, families and residents within supported housing.
Johnnie Johnson Housing now owns and manages over 5000 properties. We currently have 7000 residents residing in three main regions – Northwest, Yorkshire and Derbyshire and Northeast. The final JJH development is currently in construction and due to be finished in early 2025, a development of over 20 family houses and 8 apartments in Chinley.
Living longer, living better – Our ongoing mission
In 2018, we signed the Armed Forces Covenant and are proud to have been awarded silver status under the Defence Employers Scheme. The Armed Forces Covenant is a pledge that means we respect those who serve or have served in the armed forces, as well as their families. This pledge also means that we ensure fair treatment and respect when engaging with our business. Sanctuary are also aligned to these values and we are looking forward to continuing our work in this area.
The organisation is 55 years old this year and we couldn’t be more proud of the modern era of JJH. Our Vision is “Living Longer, Living Better” and we are passionate about enabling people to live and age well in their own homes. We have been ‘Bold Brave and Courageous’, you may say that this was the mantra when the JJH Board, chaired by Sue Lock, made the decision in 2022 to seek a partnership arrangement, to secure the future of its 7000 residents and nearly 200 colleagues.
We pride ourselves in being a specialist in Independent Living, housing for older people. Our bond with our residents has always been strong, listening to their voices and promoting inclusion in service design has helped us strengthen these relationships.
Empowering our future with Sanctuary
One of the biggest reasons we chose to be part of the Sanctuary Group, is our vision and values really knit together in the purpose of what it means to be a housing provider that cares, for its residents and for its colleagues. Something that I am sure that Johnnie himself would have been proud of.
I have spoken to people who knew Johnnie and worked with him, the best description I have heard is
‘He had greatness at heart, tremendous compassion, an ability to empathise with people at all levels and in all situations. He was a much loved visitor to the JJ housing schemes, and especially liked to see the end results of the work JJ colleagues had done and meet those people whose lives had changed for the better.’
It gives all of us, colleagues and residents tremendous pride, to mark the partnership with Sanctuary with a fantastic amount of money donated to SSAFA, which will see the continuation of their great work with veterans. The legacy of Johnnie Johnson will live on through this.
