MEDIA RELEASE 6 April 2016

St John Annual Appeal Has Retirement Village Seeing Green

The St John Annual Appeal is from 4-10 April with fundraising initiatives and volunteer collectors across the country with the goal to raise $2 million. The donations will be used to buy ambulances and lifesaving equipment for communities throughout New Zealand.

One of the fantastic community organisations supporting St John in Invercargill is Rowena Jackson Retirement Village. Staff and residents of the village will be dressing up as their favourite characters from that famously green show, ‘M*A*S*H’.

St John will be on-site from 10.00am on Thursday 7 April 2016 at the retirement village. They will be visiting residents to talk about the Appeal and socialise with residents.

St John guest speaker Debbie McCallum from Invercargill Area Committee will be on site from 11.00am to talk about the Annual Appeal and the importance of fundraising for St John.

The big event of the day will be the competitions for staff and residents in the community centre, with special events such as:

• First aid quiz;

• Bandaging competition;

• Best costumes.

Village Manager Trudy Shepard says, “We’re delighted to support St John because we know how important the service is to our residents, their families and the entire community. We’re doing all we can to help, and having fun doing it.’’

“This is going to be a fantastic and fun day,” says Debbie Pipson, St John Fundraising and Marketing Manager South Island.

“It’s amazing to have such community spirit and support joining us in our annual appeal. The local support means vital emergency services can continue in communities such as Invercargill.

“The team at Rowena Jackson Retirement Village, both the staff and residents, are fantastic. They have got right behind our Annual Appeal and we’re sure their M*A*S*H day is going to be awesome. Our local St John team are looking forward to it.”

Says St John Chief Executive Peter Bradley, “Demand for our services has never been greater and as a charity we rely on the generosity of the communities we serve. We never take their trust and support for granted.”

Media are warmly invited to attend the ‘M*A*S*H’ day at Rowena Jackson Retirement Village, 40 O'Byrne Street North, Waikiwi, Invercargill, from 10.00am, Thursday 7 April 2016.

St John staff and volunteers will be out with collection buckets throughout New Zealand (4-10 April) or simply call 0800 ST JOHN (0800 785 646), donate online at www.stjohnappeal.org.nz or at any ASB branch.

ST JOHN FACTS:

• It costs approximately $2,740 to run one ambulance per day

• It costs $181,981 for a new ambulance

• St John received 455,000, 111 emergency ambulance calls in the last year

• St John treated and/or transported 428,319 patients in the last year

• St John travelled nearly 20 million kilometres in the past year

• St John ambulances and their paramedics are at the frontline of emergency services.

• St John is 24 hours a day and 365 days a year

• For the second year in a row St John was voted New Zealand’s Most Trusted Charity in the Readers Digest Most Trusted Brands Awards 2015

• St John is the largest primary healthcare provider in New Zealand

• St John is made up of a mix of full-time paid employees and volunteer staff.

• Our community and commercial programmes range from first aid training, health shuttle services, Friends of the Emergency Department, Caring Caller telephone service, monitored medical alarms, Outreach Therapy Pets and a St John Youth Programme.

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