$4.5m sought to fund new ambulance stations

This month Hato Hone St John is again calling on the support of Kiwis to help raise $4.5 million for the building and urgent repair of 13 ambulance stations around New Zealand.

Its chief executive, Peter Bradley, says this year’s Annual Appeal is more than just raising money for bricks and mortar.

“This is about future-proofing our stations, the home base for our emergency crews, so no matter what tomorrow brings, our teams will always be there for communities when they need us most.

“For our ambulance officers, they’re also a home away from home and a place to reset, recharge and connect with each other after attending a callout.”

Ambulance stations are also often a vital community hub for volunteers, including those delivering first-aid training and running St John Youth programmes.

Money raised from this year’s Light the Way Annual Appeal will go towards 10 new builds and three major repairs of ambulance stations.

The locations are Kawakawa, Whangarei, Auckland Central, Waihi, Cambridge, Morrinsville, Palmerston North, Rangiora, Nelson, Akaroa, Oamaru, Riversdale, and Invercargill.

Frontline ambulance crews had an exceptionally busy year in 2024, responding to more than 450,000 incidents nationwide.

“Over the past decade, demand for our services has increased nearly 90 per cent,” Bradley says.

“To keep up with this growing demand, our ambulance stations need to grow and adapt.

“Many require urgent repairs or complete rebuilds to meet modern safety standards and ensure we can continue to look after our ambulance officers and are ready to respond.”

Hato Hone St John provides emergency ambulance services to 97 per cent of the country’s geographical area.

Fundraising supports the costs of running the emergency ambulance service and helps towards infrastructure costs such as ambulance stations, essential buildings, repairs and maintenance.

Hato Hone St John staff and volunteers will be out on the street with collection buckets on June 14-15, with schools and businesses supporting with local fundraising activities.

For more information and to donate to Hato Hone St John, go online to Lighttheway.stjohn.org.nz.