Wellington Free Ambulance

🤩 On Friday 28 March, we gathered for our annual staff awards and long service awards. This is a special time for our team, with the staff awards recognising those who live our values, and their significant commitment to our patients, communities, staff, and organisation. While the long service awards celebrate the ongoing dedication and commitment to Wellington Free Ambulance and our communities by long-serving employees. Over the coming weeks, we’ll introduce you to this year’s deserving winners – watch this space…!

🎉 Meet Wairarapa Community Liaison Cheryl, who has been selected as a 2025 Council of Ambulance Authorities Women in Ambulance Awards Honour Recipient! It's been said by many that Cheryl lives and breathes Wellington Free Ambulance and many colleagues and members of her community will reflect that she often goes above and beyond. This dedication is especially evident when it comes to training people in lifesaving CPR and AED skills through The Lloyd Morrison Foundation Heartbeat programme. Cheryl has also played a crucial role in our Build Wairarapa Station campaign, speaking to community groups and businesses about the importance of a dedicated ambulance station for our Wairarapa communities. When asked what being an honour recipient means to her she explained: "It’s truly an honour to be recognised among so many inspiring women who contribute so much to this profession. Every day, I simply strive to do my best for my colleagues and our communities. I'm grateful not only for this recognition but also for the incredible support and encouragement I’ve received throughout my journey." Congratulations Cheryl! We look forward to seeing what you do next 💚

Best bits of March 👏 Here's what we got up to this month: 1. General Manager of Fundraising and Communications Claire joined the celebrations for 100 years of the Wellington Indian Association who are long time supporters of ours. 2. Celebrated International Women's Day by acknowledging our five wāhine who were recognised as Honour Recipients in the 2025 The Council of Ambulance Authorities Inc. Women in Ambulance Awards 🎉 3. We attended the Hood Aerodrome open day, teaching CPR and AED skills to our communities 💓 4. It was a month for community events as we also attended the Wainuiomata Fire Brigade Open Day 🔥 📸 Ryan Imray 5. We were proud to support the Featherston Pride Festival alongside our friends and colleagues NZ Police and Fire and Emergency NZ 🌈 6. We shared a big thank you to Masterton South Rotary Club who over the years, have donated an incredible $30,000 towards our Wairarapa Station build. 

💓 "My dad’s survival is a reminder of the importance of being prepared.” After her dad Vaughan experienced 3 cardiac arrests in a row (the sudden loss of all heart activity), Shelby was deeply impacted by what happened, the medical care provided by our paramedics, and the lifesaving difference CPR and use of an AED can make. Read Shelby and Vaughan's story 👉 https://lnkd.in/gQW5mwRH

Ka pai Greater Wellington and Wairarapa – last year, 80% of people experiencing an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (the sudden loss of all heart activity) received CPR from a bystander, that’s the highest rate in 6 years! 👏   A bit like how our region is best enjoyed with a locally crafted coffee, there’s a great combination when it comes to giving people experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest the best chance possible of survival – and that’s CPR combined with the use of an AED (automated external defibrillator).   Read the Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Registry 2023/2024, in partnership with Hato Hone St John, to learn more about cardiac arrests and the importance of CPR and AEDs.   👉 https://lnkd.in/gdNjBGV6

"When we ring, the paramedics come and they help us. When I need them, they are always there for me." This lovely feedback represents just one of the 4,278 responses our emergency ambulance crews did in February alone 💚

🎉 Meet Clinical Hub Manager Hannah, who has been selected as a 2025 Council of Ambulance Authorities Women in Ambulance Awards Honour Recipient! Hannah manages a team of clinical paramedic advisors in the ambulance communications centre where she is well respected amongst her colleagues. She exemplifies what women in leadership represent and has proven herself as a wealth of knowledge of both paramedic and communications processes. When asked what being an honour recipient means to her she explained: "I'm extremely humbled to be selected as an honour recipient for the CAA Women in Ambulance Awards. I'm deeply passionate about what I do and who I do it with - a team of extremely dedicated and driven clinicians. I come to work everyday with the aim to make things better for our team and the community they serve and I'm so proud to do it. The Clinical Hub is continually evolving, and it's incredible to have the opportunity to collaborate with so many women in the organisation who I continue to learn from on a daily basis." Congratulations Hannah! We look forward to seeing what you do next 💚

😍 So far, you’ve generously donated a whopping over $130,000 towards ensuring the vital help and support from Wellington Free Ambulance remains free of charge – thank you so much! There’s still time to donate to help us continue to expand our clinical hub services to ensure anyone who calls 111 can benefit immediately from contact with paramedics like Isaac. Please donate today 👉 https://lnkd.in/g4MB4VFP 

Today, we're saying a huge thank you to Masterton South Rotary Club for their continued generosity and support! Over the years, they've donated an incredible $30,000 towards our Wairarapa Station build. It’s amazing to see the giving continue through each president of Masterton South Rotary Club, and we're grateful for their commitment 💚 📷 Michael, Cheryl, Christine and Tiri

😎 Our summer of storytelling series is drawing to a close - meet Phillipa! Observing the clinical expertise and compassion of Wellington Free Ambulance paramedics, Phillipa felt inspired to ensure everyone can access emergency healthcare services, whenever they need to. Read her story 👉 https://lnkd.in/g9-6fxmT Thank you to our Community Champions Phillipa, Blair, Mary, Michael and Bronwyn, Georgie and Nick for so generously sharing their stories with us and to every single one of the incredible people who donate to us regularly. Being here for our community in Greater Wellington and Wairarapa 24/7, free of charge, is a big job and we can’t do it alone – thanks for being on our team 💚