ST. JOHN AMBULANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21298, 27 September 1932, Page 11

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE

VARIED SERVICES GIVEN URGENT NEED OF FUNDS ANNUAL APPEAL TO PUBLIC Urgently in need of funds with which to carry on its growing work, the St. John Ambulance Association in Auckland will make its annual appeal to the public on October 7. In addition fo the street, collection, the association is making an appeal to various organisations asking for assistance.

Few people realise the extent of the scrvicos rendered to the public by the association. The ambulance branch, perhaps I he' best known, maintains a 24hours' service. A high standard of efficiency characterises the work and no trip is too long or too arduous for the ambulance drivers to undertake.

Trips are made which call for much time and trouble without a proportionate return. One such journey took two men with an ambulance to the Pokeno district yesterday, a case of sickness being attended to and brought to the Auckland Hospital. The ambulance travelled two miles past Pokeno, where it turned off the main road to a clay road requiring the use of chains. Even then the vehicle could not be driven the full distance and the patient was carried on a stretcher for two miles over a rough track. The association claims that any person may at any time be in need of its services and it feels that it has a just claim to consideration I>y the public. A happy reminder of the truth of this came under the nolice of the association recently, when a letter was received from a man who was attended to by the brigade. The writer stated that he had refused to make a donation to the funds at the last street appeal, but he had since realised what valuable work it was doing. He enclosed a donation of £2 2s.

At the present time the association is seeking to extend its operations to provincial districts. A return of the \york of the association during the present year to date makes imposing reading. A total of 3307 ambulance calls has been received and 35,142 miles have been travelled by ambulances. District nurses have made 7907 visits and 1681 out-patients have been treated. The association also gives first-aid and home-nursing instruction and operates a medical comforts depot. All sports and picnics are attended and service is given at the Dock Street and Edinburgh Street missions and at free kindergartens.

In its circular appeal for support, the association states:—"lt is not necessary for us to enlarge upon the many great services rendered to the public by the association and the brigade. It will suffice to emphasise that without voluntary contributions these services cannot be continued. We get no assistance from the Government and we have to pay rates on our ambulance station in Rutland Street. Our expenses are many and various, and without the unanimous support of the great public we serve, we cannot hope to carry on." The appeal is signed by the Mayoress, Airs. G. W. Hutchison, and by the chairman, secretary and treasurer of the committee of the association.