The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (The Order of St John)
Analysis
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (The Order of St John) is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in September 1964, 62 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives and other charitable purposes, which this site groups under health and saving lives. It says it makes grants to organisations, provides human resources and acts as an umbrella or resource body.
In the financial year ending December 2025, The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (The Order of St John) reported income of £2.5m and spending of £2.6m, spending 102% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £1.3m to £2.5m (+98%), an average of +19% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2023, when income rose by 89%. Over the whole period it spent 74% of the income it received.
Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (The Order of St John) sits at the 94th percentile: it is larger than about 94% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 97th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Follicular Lymphoma Foundation (£2.5m), Magdalen & Lasher Charity - Old Hastings House, Charitable Incorporated Organisation (£2.5m) and The Bankers Benevolent Fund (£2.5m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 52%, charitable activities 41% and investments 7.6%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £50k. Charitable activities took 76% of spending and raising funds 10%. Grants to other organisations totalled £748k. Reserves of £882k would cover about 4 months of spending at that rate. It employed 12 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 50%
- Legacies 2.0%
- Charitable activities 41%
- Investments 7.6%
In the charity's own words
The Order of St John is a major international charity, accredited to the United Nations, whose organisations- together widely known as St John - provide first aid, health care and support services in over 35 countries around the world. The Order's charitable work is carried out by the St John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem and St John Establishments worldwide- with volunteers and staff of over 300,000.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| Follicular Lymphoma Foundation | London | £2.5m |
| Magdalen & Lasher Charity - Old Hastings House, Charitable Incorporated Organisation | East Sussex | £2.5m |
| The Bankers Benevolent Fund | London | £2.5m |
| Age UK Oldham Limited | Oldham | £2.5m |