Who we are 

The Order of St John – its full name is The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem – has two key objects:

• The encouragement of all that makes for the spiritual and moral strengthening of mankind in accordance with the first great principle of the Order embodied in the Motto ‘Pro Fide’;
• The encouragement and promotion of all work of humanity and charity for the relief of persons in sickness, distress, suffering or danger, without distinction of race, class or creed and the extension of the second great principle of the Order embodied in the Motto ‘Pro Utilitate Hominum’.

Pro Fide means For the Faith, (meaning the Christian faith) and Pro Utilitate Hominum means In the Service of Humanity.

It is a unique organisation:

• which stems from roots that began in the 11th Century;
• which, in its current form, was incorporated in the United Kingdom by a Royal charter granted by Queen Victoria in 1888;
• which is an Order of Chivalry of the British Crown;
• which is one of five mutually recognised Orders of St John;
• which is a major international charity, recognised at the United Nations, that
• carries on its activities in more than 40 countries; and
• which has about 25,000 members worldwide and is supported by over 4,000 salaried employees as well as by about 250,000 regular volunteers and numerous other supporters.