Organ Donation Week, Bodie Hodges Foundation

In honour of Organ Donation Week, the annual event to raise awareness and encourage people to discuss organ donation with their families, we talk to Nick Hodges, founder of Bodie Hodges Foundation. The Bodie Hodges Foundation charity was set up in 2012 and supports families who have been bereaved of a child, of any age, and promotes organ donation.

Organ Donation Week is something that we as a charity are incredibly passionate about. We believe that Organ Donation is about giving the gift of life to those that need it. It is about giving hope to the individuals waiting and to their families and the wider community. It is also about leaving a legacy for the person who has donated and helping their families in their journey of grief.

Nick, the founder of Bodie Hodges, discusses how Bodie Hodges Foundation promotes organ donation.

As a charity, we have done many different things to raise awareness of Organ Donation. We have made the most of media opportunities including appearances on This Morning and twice appearing on The Great North Run Coverage on the BBC. Last year over 20 people took on the Great North Challenge which was a baton relay that started at the Leicester Royal Information and ended at the finish line of The Great North Run.

A team of cyclists, swimmers, walkers and runners covered over 500 miles using it as an opportunity to talk to people, visit transplant hospitals and gain media coverage. Our current campaign is the Organ Donation Schools Education Programme which will see us deliver a presentation to year 10-year 13 students across Leicestershire.

The aim of the campaign is to present the facts, about organ donation and the process involved so that they can make an informed decision about whether they want to be an organ donor. We then ask them to discuss their decision with their family so that they are aware of their wishes.

We will also be giving each and every student a wristband (supplied by EverythingBranded.co.k) with our campaign slogan ‘Organ Donation- start the conversation’. We feel that these are a fantastic way of getting them to remember to have that conversation.

Everything Branded have shown their support through fundraising and promoting awareness of the Bodie Hodges Foundation as well as showing support of Bodies’ Treasured Memory Bags, through the supply of products. Each bag is filled with handpicked grief resources to support siblings as they grieve for their brother or sister and ultimately, help families grieve together.

Everything Branded is raising awareness of Organ Donation Week by distributing information leaflets throughout our offices as well as providing register forms to any colleagues interested in learning more and signing up to become a donor.

Read more on Bodie’s Treasured Memory Bags here