Hato Hone St John is once 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.

Chief executive Peter Bradley said this year’s annual appeal was more than just raising money for bricks and mortar.

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

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

Ambulance stations were 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 St John Ambulance stations.

The locations are Kawakawa, Whangārei, Auckland Central (Pitt Street), Waihī, Cambridge, Morrinsville, Palmerston North, Rangiora, Nelson, Akaroa, Ōamaru, 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%,” said Bradley.

“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 ready to respond.”

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

Fundraising supports the costs of running the emergency ambulance service and helps towards infrastructure costs - like 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 and 15, with schools and businesses supporting with local fundraising activities.

For more information and to donate to Hato Hone St John, visit the Light the Way Annual Appeal website at Lighttheway.stjohn.org.nz

Proceeds from annual appeal 2025 will go towards:

Kawakawa (major renovation)

Whangārei (new build)

Auckland Central (annual upkeep - repairs)

Waihī (new build)

Cambridge (new build))

Morrinsville (new build)

Palmerston North (new build)

Rangiora (renovation funded - planning stage)

Nelson (new build)

Akaroa (new build)

Ōamaru (new build)

Riversdale (new build)

Invercargill (new build)

Other annual appeal facts:

The first annual appeal was held in Auckland in 1907, and it was named Ambulance Saturday.

In 1975, the first 24-hour live Telethon was televised on TV2 to raise money for St John Ambulance. The event raised just under $600,000 in 24 hours, which was a national fundraising record at the time.

In 2024, the annual appeal raised $3.9m towards building projects.

A special Giving Day is planned for later in June when donations given in a 24-hour period will be doubled.

-Contributed content