The Order of St John Award
Honouring the incredible gift of organ donation
Family receiving the Order of St John Award at a regional ceremony.
The Order of St John UK Award for Organ Donation honours the incredible gift donors and their families in the UK make by donating their organs to save and improve the lives of others.
It is awarded by invitation to families whose loved ones donated their organs, and honours the donor after their death.
There is no pressure to accept the award straight away. You can delay the ceremony until you are ready or request the award at a later date.
The award is open to people of all faiths or of no faith across the whole of the UK.
A family can choose to accept the award on the donor's behalf — either at a regional ceremony, or by post.
Tissue donation and eye-only donation is also honoured by the award. In these cases an award is received by post rather than at a ceremony.
Questions about the Award
Your local organ donation team will send you a letter inviting you to accept the award by post or by attending a ceremony. They will send you a list of regional ceremony dates and a reply form for you to return with your preference.
You can contact your local organ donation team, the number is on the Order of St John leaflet sent to you following your loved one's donation. If you need help locating a contact within your local team, you can contact the Donor Family Care Service with your loved one's details and we will put you in touch.
You will receive initial information about the award from the Donor Family Care Service when we write to you following your loved one's donation (around one month afterwards). We aim to hold ceremonies within a year of donation.
Order of St John ceremonies usually take place within a year of donation. Depending on the region, ceremonies take place in the spring or autumn. You can contact your local regional team who will advise you of dates.
There is space for you to bring three guests of your choice. It is unfortunately not possible for you to bring more than three guests for a variety of reasons, including venue size and catering considerations.
This award honours the donor after their death, and is accepted on their behalf by a loved one. There is one award and one certificate per donor.
Yes, families whose loved ones donated before the award was set up in 2013 can still receive the award. Please contact your local organ donation team who will give you further information and assist you.