St John Scotland
St John Scotland is a Scottish charity founded in 1947 that provides free CPR training, public access defibrillators, patient transport, and Community First Responder support across 14 areas of Scotland, funded entirely by donations and delivered by volunteers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1947
- HeadquartersEdinburgh, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What St John Scotland does
St John Scotland is a Scottish charitable organization founded in 1947 and headquartered at 21 St John Street, Edinburgh. It operates as a company limited by guarantee (Scottish Registered Charity SC047485) and is part of the Priory of Scotland of the Order of St John, with His Majesty The King as Sovereign Head. The charity delivers four core services free of charge to communities across 14 geographic areas of Scotland: Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) installation and maintenance, CPR and defibrillator awareness training, patient transport for oncology and renal dialysis patients, and financial/kit support for Community First Responders. Service delivery is volunteer-led, with thousands of volunteers operating alongside a small paid staff of 16 employees (including a COO, administration, service delivery, communications, and a Priory secretary).
The charity's revenue model is entirely donation-based, with no fees charged to beneficiaries. Funding sources include individual charitable donations, community fundraising events, legacy gifts (such as the Crichton Fund, which funded the Glasgow PAD expansion), and grants for specific programs. Strategic partnerships anchor distribution: the organization works alongside NHS Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service (including representation on a Clinical Oversight Group), collaborates with the Save A Life for Scotland national partnership, and engages community partners such as Queens Cross Housing Association, RSPB, and Scottish secondary schools. Marketing and outreach are conducted through the organization website, community events (Highland Games, agricultural shows, school programs), earned media, and the InFocus newsletter.
The organization has no proprietary technology platform and no AI/ML capabilities. Its competitive position rests on the Order of St John brand, royal charter connection, deep NHS/community integration, and decades of accumulated volunteer infrastructure. Recent strategic moves include professionalization of the leadership team (first COO appointed July 2024), expansion of PAD coverage to underserved Glasgow communities (nine units deployed in 2024), and innovation in remote-location deployment via a solar/wind-powered defibrillator at RSPB Baron's Haugh Nature Reserve.
St John Scotland firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- St John Scotland
- Legal name
- St John Scotland
- Website
- https://stjohnscotland.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1947
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- St John Scotland is a Scottish charity founded in 1947 that provides free CPR training, public access defibrillators, patient transport, and Community First Responder support across 14 areas of Scotland, funded entirely by donations and delivered by volunteers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
St John Scotland industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Health and Emergency Response Services
- NAICS
- Religious Organizations (8131), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Faith-Based Healthcare Ministries (Hospitals, Clinics, Medical Missions) (BPAGAJAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)
Keywords
Where St John Scotland is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edinburgh
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
St John Scotland business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Charitable Donations: St John Scotland operates as a charity providing free services to communities. Revenue comes from donations, fundraising events, and potentially legacy gifts from supporters.
- Grant Funding: Project funding received for specific initiatives such as the defibrillator installation program in Glasgow's high-need communities, funded through a legacy gift to the Crichton Fund.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free services for all community members |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
St John Scotland product offering
Product offeringCore offering
St John Scotland is a charitable organization that delivers free community health and lifesaving services across Scotland through a volunteer network. Its core offerings include the installation and maintenance of Public Access Defibrillators (PADs), free CPR and defibrillator awareness training, volunteer-led Patient Transport for oncology and renal patients to hospital appointments, and financial/kit support for Community First Responder schemes in partnership with the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Product overview
St John Scotland is a charitable organization offering a portfolio of life-saving community services. The core offerings include: Public Access Defibrillators (PADs) through their Community Defibrillator Scheme, CPR Awareness Training delivered as free community sessions, Patient Transport Service for oncology and renal patients, and support for Community First Responders. These services are volunteer-led and focus on building safer, stronger communities across Scotland through increased access to emergency lifesaving equipment and training.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Public Access Defibrillators (PADs)
Quantifiable outcome
- 300+ Public Access Defibrillators installed across Scotland, including 300 in Edinburgh alone
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use St John Scotland
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles4 records
St John Scotland technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
St John Scotland partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Queens Cross Housing AssociationcorePartnership to install nine Public Access Defibrillators in high-need communities across Glasgow. The housing association hosts the equipment and local residents receive CPR and defibrillator training. Project sponsored by the Lord Provost of Glasgow, Jacqueline McLaren.
- WrightKerr All Trades LtdminorInstalled defibrillator cabinets free of charge as part of partnership with Queens Cross Housing Association for Glasgow PAD expansion project.
- Save A Life for Scotland (SALFS)coreNational partnership collaboration to expand CPR awareness and increase access to defibrillators across Scotland, working together to save lives from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
- Scottish Ambulance ServicecorePartnership supporting Community First Responders program and clinical oversight of CPR and defibrillator training activities. Includes representation on Clinical Oversight Group.
- Chest Heart & Stroke ScotlandminorCharity partner that supported CPR training event at The Kelpies alongside St John Scotland volunteers and local emergency services.
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)minorPartnership to install Scotland's first solar and wind-powered Public Access Defibrillator at RSPB Baron's Haugh Nature Reserve in Motherwell, providing lifesaving equipment in a remote location without power access.
- Historic Environment ScotlandminorManages Torphichen Preceptory site while St John Scotland volunteers open the building to the public on weekends during summer and provide historical tours.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
St John Scotland competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland: Scotland-based health charity supporting people with chest, heart, and stroke conditions. Direct overlap in cardiac awareness training and an existing operational partner of St John Scotland.
- British Heart Foundation: National charity focused on cardiovascular health, funding defibrillators in communities and promoting CPR awareness. Direct overlap with St John Scotland's PAD and CPR training mission, particularly through shared co-funding of community defibrillators.
- Royal Voluntary Service: UK charity providing volunteer-led patient transport and hospital support services to NHS, including cancer and dialysis patient transport. Closely comparable service model and beneficiary population.
- Scottish Mountain Rescue: Volunteer-led emergency response charity operating in Scotland's mountain and rural areas. St John Scotland has historically been a major donor to its teams and provides overlapping community first responder concepts.
- St John Ambulance (England): The English Priory of the same Order of St John, providing CPR training, defibrillators, first aid, and patient transport services. Most directly comparable organization given shared heritage, mission, and service lines.
- Save A Life for Scotland: Scottish partnership coalition focused on increasing bystander CPR rates and defibrillator access. Direct collaborative partner with overlapping PAD and CPR awareness mission.
Broad incumbents
- British Red Cross: UK-wide humanitarian charity offering patient transport, first aid training, and community health support. Operates at much larger scale with broader humanitarian mandate but overlapping volunteer-led transport and emergency response activities.
- Salvation Army UK: Faith-based charitable organization providing community outreach, social services, and emergency response support across the UK. Comparable faith-driven community service model though broader in scope.
- Order of Malta Britain: Faith-based chivalric order running medical, humanitarian, and pilgrimage support services in the UK. Comparable faith-based humanitarian identity and volunteer-led health outreach model.
Regional players
- Community First Responders (Scottish Ambulance Service): Scotland-based volunteer scheme trained by Scottish Ambulance Service to attend medical emergencies before ambulance arrival. St John Scotland provides direct financial and kit support to these CFR schemes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
St John Scotland social profiles
Digital presenceSt John Scotland compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
St John Scotland financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
St John Scotland leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
St John Scotland funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
St John Scotland M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about St John Scotland
What does St John Scotland do?
St John Scotland is a charitable organization that delivers free community health and lifesaving services across Scotland through a volunteer network. Its core offerings include the installation and maintenance of Public Access Defibrillators (PADs), free CPR and defibrillator awareness training, volunteer-led Patient Transport for oncology and renal patients to hospital appointments, and financial/kit support for Community First Responder schemes in partnership with the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Is St John Scotland a public or private company?
St John Scotland is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was St John Scotland founded?
St John Scotland was founded in 1947. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is St John Scotland based?
St John Scotland is headquartered in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does St John Scotland make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Charitable Donations are the primary driver. The others are grant Funding.
Who are St John Scotland's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, British Heart Foundation, Royal Voluntary Service, Scottish Mountain Rescue, St John Ambulance (England) and Save A Life for Scotland. Broad incumbents are British Red Cross, Salvation Army UK and Order of Malta Britain. Community First Responders (Scottish Ambulance Service) is listed as a regional player.
Does St John Scotland have an API?
No public API is recorded for St John Scotland.
What industry is St John Scotland in?
St John Scotland's product category is Community Health and Emergency Response Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAJAH, Faith-Based Healthcare Ministries (Hospitals, Clinics, Medical Missions), with a secondary code of BPAGAJAG, Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling). Its NAICS code is 8131 and its SIC code is 8300.