Kids Operating Room co-founders awarded MBEs for global health impact

News

Sat Jun' 25

Incredible honour for Kids Operating Room founders.

Kids Operating Room is proud to share that its co-founders, Garreth and Nicola Wood, have each been awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025.

The awards recognise their “services to health and charity, particularly surgery for children internationally” — a rare honour for two leaders of the same organisation to receive in the same year.

“It’s humbling to be recognised in this way — and even more special to share this moment side-by-side with Nicola,” said Garreth. “Our journey has always been about doing what we can to give every child a fairer start in life.”

Since launching Kids Operating Room in 2018, Garreth and Nicola have helped grow the organisation from a bold idea into a global health leader. With nearly 100 dedicated paediatric operating rooms installed across more than 40 countries, KidsOR now creates capacity for over 200,000 life-saving operations every year.

“We accept these awards on behalf of the entire Kids Operating Room team,” added Nicola. “This recognition reflects the belief and dedication of our colleagues around the world, who are working tirelessly to build a fairer world for children.”

Kids Operating Room’s innovative model focuses on building long-term capacity — installing surgical infrastructure, supporting training, and pioneering the use of solar-powered operating rooms to overcome challenges like unreliable electricity. The organisation’s achievements include preventing more than 11 million years of disability and generating over $20 billion in economic benefit for partner countries.

As Professor George Youngson CBE, Trustee of Kids Operating Room, noted:

“These awards reflect not only the impact of KidsOR’s work, but also the distinctive roles Garreth and Nicola have played in driving it forward — with energy, leadership, and vision.”

While this is a moment to celebrate, the need for children’s surgery remains urgent. Too many children in low- and middle-income countries still lack access to safe surgical care.

“We’re more motivated than ever to keep going,” said Garreth.

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