Our Campaigns
We could all need a transplant at some point in our lives. JHOD co-ordinate, initiate and implement activities to increase awareness nationally about organ, blood and stem cell donation.
Our Support
JHOD works with Jain and Hindu organisations nationally to raise awareness and increase organ donation registrations. JHOD also encourages bids for funding projects supporting organ donation via the NHS Blood and Transplant Community Investment Scheme.
Additionally, we provide spokespeople at events and religion-specific resources to organisations so they can spread the message of organ donation.
Paryushan 2021
There is an urgent shortage of organ donors in the UK and sadly hundreds of people from our communities are still waiting for a transplant and some die waiting.
West London Project
We are working with City Sikhs network on a project funded by NHSBT to engage with statutory bodies and community groups who are not currently involved in promoting organ donation. We know that encouraging these conversations on local, as well as national levels is vital for raising awareness. If you would like to collaborate with us, please contact us: info@jhod.org.uk
Leave them Certain
To support NHS Blood and Transplant’s ‘Leave them Certain’ campaign, JHOD is encouraging families to talk about organ donation and let their loved ones know about what their wishes are. The biggest barrier to organ donation is that it has never come up in conversation, which is even more of an issue in South Asian communities. Additionally, many people do not know that even if somebody is a registered organ donor, their family will still be asked to consent to donation after death.
To encourage these conversations and break down barriers, JHOD has launched a video featuring a multi-generational family talking about their wishes to donate their organs after death. We hope that we can encourage donors to give their families the certainty they need at an otherwise very difficult time.
Paryushan 2020
Paryushan is the most important time of the year for Jains, giving them the opportunity to reflect on their actions, ask for forgiveness, and be compassionate to all living beings.
In the spirit of compassion, we launched our Paryushan campaign, working with Jain organisations across the UK to encourage everybody to think about giving the gift of life after death and share this message with their communities. In partnership with NHSBT and community leaders, we also launched a new video featuring Pravinbhai Shah, whose wife Vasantiben donated her organs when she passed away. Plans are also underway for a 2021 Paryushan campaign.
Diwali 2020
To spread light through our communities, JHOD and NHSBT launched an innovative campaign comprising a national arts competition and live webinar hosted by Lord Jitesh Gadhia and Millie Banerjee CBE, to celebrate Diwali. Additionally, we launched a refreshed Diwali video, collaborated on a one-hour television programme on Aastha TV, and published English, Gujarati and Punjabi advertorials in targeted newspapers. A 2021 Diwali campaign is also being explored.
The competition attracted entries of an extremely high standard from all ages across the UK. Some of the winning pieces of art can be found here.
Change in law and the ‘Pass it on’ campaign
On 10 July 2019, a packed room in Parliament witnessed the launch of our campaign to raise awareness of the change in English organ donation law to an ‘opt-out’ system in spring 2020. The meeting was chaired by Lord Jitesh Gadhia and the chief guest was the Rt Hon Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Also in attendance was Millie Banerjee CBE, Chair of the NHS Blood and Transplant Board and members of the JHOD steering group.
Videos and leaflets illustrating the Hindu and Jain approaches to organ donation, produced in partnership with NHSBT, were shared by community leaders for wider dissemination. We also announced a call-to-action to share and promote the life-saving message of organ donation.
We also worked with faith and community partners across the nation to raise awareness of the change and encourage conversations about organ donation.
Interfaith collaboration
Representatives from JHOD spoke at Royal Free Hospital’s Multi-faith event held on 27 March 2019 to raise awareness of our faith perspectives and change of law. Our speakers also participated in the Q&A panel and highlighted the positive acceptance of organ donation by both the Jain and Hindu faiths.