New organ donation memorial is unveiled at PRUH

29 September 2025 - A new installation highlighting the importance of organ donation opened on Friday 26 September at Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH).

The memorial, which was designed by Camberwell College of Arts MA students, was officially opened at a ceremony in the hospital gardens, attended by PRUH staff, Camberwell College of Arts students and staff, organ donor family representatives, the King’s Organ Donor Committee, and representatives from NHS Blood and Transplant.

The design is the outcome of a nine-month collaboration between Camberwell College of Arts, PRUH and the King’s Organ Donation Committee. Students followed a carefully structured process, consulting with PRUH staff members, donor families, transplant recipients and the wider organ donation community.

Eunice Booker became a member of the King’s Organ Donation Committee after her 26-year-old daughter Kirstie tragically became an organ donor at King’s in late 2006, following a road traffic accident. Eunice said: “As a Donor Mum, I hope the memorial will give donor families somewhere to sit and remember their loved ones.

“This will be a special place that gives members of the public the opportunity to reflect on the words engraved on the benches, and hopefully it will encourage them to sign up to the organ donor register or confirm their wishes.”

The design comprises nine cast concrete arc benches arranged in a circle. The benches, each featuring an inspiring word, celebrate the fact that a single organ donor can transform or save up to nine lives. At the centre, a floor tile features a Möbius strip, representing the continuity of life through organ donation.

Professor Clive Kay, Chief Executive of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“Organ donation saves lives, and I’m proud that King’s is one of the leading Trusts in the UK for organ donation.

“I would like to thank the talented students from Camberwell College of Arts for the thought and care they have put into their design of the new memorial garden at the Princess Royal University Hospital, which highlights the importance of organ donation, and will continue to do so for years to come.”

Thanks to 2,394 people who donated last year, 4,583 people across the UK had their lives transformed through organ donation. Anyone considering organ donation can register their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register.