In September 1947, Province 5 (Leeds) of the Knights of St Columba, who are a fraternal brotherhood dedicated to promoting social care and Catholic action, purchased 263 Hyde Park Road in Leeds to accommodate boys who were in trouble with the Courts as an alternative to Approved Schools or Borstal.
In 1970 the Home Office announced an experiment with four approved probation hostels catering for men aged between 19 and 30 years. It was then decided that further approved probation hostels catering for men should be provided by retaining some of the hostels which had previously catered for a younger age group, as they had become re-designated with the implementation of Section 7(2) of the Peoples and Young Children’s Act 1969.
St John’s was re-opened as an independently managed Approved Premises on the 15 July 1971. Following this decision, first 261 Hyde Park Road and then later 259 Hyde Park Road were purchased and furnished by the Knights of St Columba to the very high standard they are today.
St John’s Approved Premises is now managed by voluntary trustees as a charitable organisation. St John's Approved Premises remains directly funded by the Ministry Of Justice and works in close partnership with the National Probation Service.
