Kids Operating Room

Who we are

We believe in a world where every child has equal access to safe surgery.
That doesn’t seem like such a big ask. Every child has a right to life and that shouldn’t be taken away by an injury or illness that can be easily fixed. Children who battle cancer and undergo chemotherapy shouldn’t get to the end of that process only to be denied the surgery that will offer them the chance of survival. Children who break an arm or a leg shouldn’t live the rest of their lives in disability.

Babies who need simple procedures in the first hours of life shouldn’t be left to die, and children born with urological conditions shouldn’t be denied an education because they can’t access the simple operation they need.

Our vision is that every child gets the chance to grow up and live their life to the full.

Our mission is to make safe surgery possiblefor every child.

What we do
We create world-class operating rooms for children in the toughest places, where surgical teams face the greatest challenges. From war zones to countries battling poverty and disasters, we go where we’re needed most.

Everything we do is designed to support local teams and health systems. We work hand in hand to understand their particular needs and enable them to create impact that lasts. We never send in medical professionals from richer countries.

We transform unused or derelict spaces, usually in public hospitals. We supply each operating room with 3,300 pieces of specialist equipment. Once the room is set up, we partner with local engineers to keep everything running smoothly. With pioneering solar technology, we make sure the operating rooms have electricity, even during black outs or power shortages.

3,300 pieces of specialist equipment in every operating room we create

Kids Operating Room is created with care and love. Our unique artwork is designed to reassure and distract young patients, unlike the usual cold and clinical hospital environment. It’s a place where children feel safe, and families feel hope. Where surgical teams work with high-quality tools in a bright and colourful space. A joyful space.

Beyond the room itself, we support the people who work there. In partnership with Ministries of Health, we provide scholarships and training for medical professionals in specialised skills. Our aim is that after five years we can hand over each operating room to be run and maintained by the local health system.

The work is challenging and the demands are huge. But in operating rooms all over the world, incredible things happen every day. Together we make safe surgery possible, so kids can make anything possible.

Understanding our impact
Robust data and evidence are critical to evaluate our own effectiveness and to support a global community delivering safe surgery for children. We’ve developed a leading paediatric surgical database for low- and middle-income countries to help us measure and understand our impact.

Our culture and values

Our culture
At Kids Operating Room, we value every background, identity and experience. A diverse team makes us stronger, and we’re committed to being a place where everyone is respected, heard and has a genuine chance to thrive.

Our Values
Shoot for the stars
Like the children, families and medical professionals we work with, we’ve got big ideas.

Feet on the ground
We work in the toughest places and we have to be pretty tough ourselves.

One stepahead
To keep increasing our impact, we have to keep moving. And we like to move fast.

Do the right thing
It sounds obvious, but we never take it for granted.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

Our commitment to inclusion
Everyone benefits when people can bring their whole selves to work.

Whether you’re a volunteer, a prospective employee or a full-time member of staff, at Kids Operating Room we want you to feel involved in all aspects of our work and to have amazing opportunities during your time with us – regardless of your background.

We’re working hard to build a Kids Operating Room team that reflects the communities we serve – we know diversity makes us stronger as an organisation and more effective in what we do.

We welcome people regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave.