People Baffled After Learning What ‘St John’s Ambulance’ Is Actually Called

Social media users have been left feeling baffled after finding out what they thought was ‘St John’s Ambulance’ is really called. Find out what you should be saying here: 

No doubt you’ve seen the folk from the volunteer-led first aid charity pop up at various events or helping out in the community. 

But it may come as a surprise to find out that many Brits don’t actually know what the charity’s real name is, having mistakenly slung an extra ‘s’ onto the end for years without realising it’s wrong. 

A video posted by St John Ambulance – yep, you read that right – showed someone standing next to a sign on a door that said ‘ST JOHN’S AMBULANCE’, scribbling out the erroneous second ‘s’ with a pen. 

“When someone says ‘St John’s Ambulance’,” the video says, adding in the caption for clarity: “St John Ambulance. Not St John’s. #ThatsNotMyName.” 

In the comments, it was abundantly clear that many people had never realised, with one writing: “NO WHAT..... HAS IT NEVER HAD THE S?! OMG....” 

Another said: “I feel like I’ve been lied to…” 

A third wrote: “Nah y'all changed the name to gaslight us.” 

Others said the actual name didn’t sound right – one saying: “But doesn’t the ‘s make it possessive so grammatically correct?” 

One other person agreed: “St John don't sound right where as St John's sound better.” 

Over on Twitter, it seems many others have had the same lightbulb moment over the years.

"Wait wtf it’s called St John Ambulance and not St John’s Ambulance?!?? one person tweeted in shock.

wait wtf it’s called St John Ambulance and not St John’s Ambulance?!? pic.twitter.com/Zt3yuKoAbQ

— Liam (@LiamLambrini) March 3, 2022

Another, who once worked with the charity, admitted they felt 'irrationally annoyed' when they saw people using the wrong name.

They wrote: "I’ve been four years since I worked there and yet I’m still so irrationally annoyed when I see people called it ‘St John’s Ambulance’.

"It is St John Ambulance. Singular. No, seriously."

I’ve been four years since I worked there and yet I’m still so irrationally annoyed when I see people called it ‘St John’s Ambulance’.

It is St John Ambulance.

Singular.

No, seriously.

— Ashley Fryer (@ashleyfryer) January 8, 2021

According to St John Ambulance, the name is a nod to its founding members. 

Its website explains: “Our enduring story goes all the way back to 11th century Jerusalem where the first Knights of St John set up a hospital to provide free medical care to sick pilgrims. 

“Since then we have evolved as an Order and as an organisation, devoted to our communities. Our volunteer uniform still proudly displays the eight-pointed cross worn by those first Knights of St John.”