St. John's Ambulance Christmas Canapes Fundraiser

Back to the Mansion House this evening, this time for a fundraising evening for St. John's Ambulance otherwise known as the Order of St. John. The Order of St John, formally The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem and also known as St John International, is a British royal order of chivalry first constituted in 1888 by royal charter from Queen Victoria.

The Order traces its origins back to the Knights Hospitaller in the Middle Ages, which was later known as the Order of Malta. A faction of them emerged in France in the 1820s and moved to Britain in the early 1830s, where, after operating under a succession of grand priors and different names, it became associated with the founding in 1882 of the St John Ophthalmic Hospital near the old city of Jerusalem and the St John Ambulance Brigade in 1887.

It is perhaps best known for the health organisations it founded and continues to run, including St John Ambulance and St John Eye Hospital Group. As with the Order, the memberships and work of these organizations are not constricted by denomination or religion. The Order is a constituent member of the Alliance of the Orders of Saint John of Jerusalem. Its headquarters are in London and it is a registered charity under English law.

I have been to a number of functions with St Johns, who also provide first aiders for many public events. This evening we were entertained by outstanding local singer, Bethan Evans, who was accompanied by Lisa Mears. There was food and we finished off with communal carols. It was a really well-organised event and hopefully raised a significant amount of money for the charity.