About British Organ Donor Society
BODY has one part time paid employee and is otherwise entirely supported by volunteers. It has an office attached to a private home so overheads are kept to a minimum.
Its helpline offers a source of emotional support and information for families and individuals involved in organ and tissue transplantation and donation. At the same time, it is an important provider of information for the public, the media and some professionals.
There are various leaflets and a comprehensive website including links to other organisations and sources of information.
Providing education resources and information are prime activities. The aim is to support those involved and to allow individuals to make their own informed decisions about organ and tissue donation.
BODY has published four Booklets:
The Gift of Life 1 - An introduction to organ and tissue donation
The Gift of Life 2 - A handbook for donor families
The Gift of Life 3 - An introductory booklet for kidney patients and their families
The Gift of Life 4 - An introductory booklet for liver patients and their families.
A video - The Race for Life - tells the story of a donor, including interviews with recipients, has been widely acclaimed.
BODY is very active in representing the views of its members, particularly donor families, and is represented on many Committees.
Professional support for donor and recipient families has improved greatly over the years but there are still many occasions where a newly bereaved family's needs are not considered.
BODY, in conjunction with the University of Surrey and later Southampton University, has with the aid of a grant from the Community Fund (National Lottery) undertaken a research project on Organ and Tissue Donation: exploring the needs of families.
The findings have been published and a copy of a Summary and Final Report are available on the BODY website. Although the project is complete with respect to donor families we are still very anxious to interview families who have declined organ donation. There has been a good demand for the reports by health professionals who wish to know the recommendations with view to modifying transplant policies and protocols.
Supporting the multi-organ donor card and, since its inception in 1994, the NHS Organ Donor Register is an intrinsic part of BODY policy. Donor and recipient members' experiences are used in the media to promote awareness of the need for organ donation. Those wishing to register their wishes should phone 0845 60 60 400 or access www.uktransplant.org.uk and follow the registration link.
BODY was funded by the Department of Health to run a series of Roadshows for health professionals where they could listen to talks by professionals but also listen to, talk informally to, and take part in discussion groups with donor and recipient families.
This enabled many professionals, mainly nurses, to be reassured and better informed about organ donation. Having showed the need for this type, education has been taken on in the increasing role of the Transplant Co-ordinator. BODY is invited to attend some of these professional educational meetings to give the donor point of view.
The BODY Educational Roadshows were also originally funded by the DoH as a free Presentation; now minimal expenses are requested. More than 130 schools have been visited with some 12,000 pupils attending. The Roadshow consisted of a presentation, exhibition and opportunity for the students to ask questions and also to talk to donor and recipient families.
The presentation is now available as downloadable resource webpages for teachers to use for their own presentations. The BODY website has been recommended as part of the National Curriculum, Citizenship course.
The Society has an Annual Week-end where members and interested professionals can mingle together listen to talks and attend the AGM and the Commemorative and Thanksgiving Transplant Service. The Society manages a Commemorative Family Tree Scheme where donor and recipient families can adopt trees.
Our history
BODY was formed in 1984 by John and Margaret Evans after their 20-year-old son died in an accident and became a multi-organ donor.
It was the first Society in the world to offer emotional support to donor families and to offer support to recipients of all organs and tissues.
In the early years the helpline was extensively used. A Commemorative Family Tree Scheme was set up where donor families could adopt a tree in memory of their loved one and recipients as a gesture of thanks to the unknown donor. The West Avenue at Wimpole Park was dedicated in memory of all donors.
It was early realised that there was a great need for a source of information both for involved families and professionals and for the general public to enable informed decisions to be made. BODY set out to fill this need; first by leaflets, then by four ‘Gift of Life’ information booklets, a video and a website.
BODY was funded by the DoH to give a series of Roadshows' for Health professionals and later for an Educational Roadshow for Schools and Colleges. A resource for teachers is included in the website.
BODY also realised the best way to spread the need for donors was by the personal testaments of involved families, both donor and recipient. One of its main aims has been to publicise the donor card and, since its inception in 1994, the NHS Organ Donor Register.