St John’s Friendship Drives expanding into Central Otago
St John Wakatipu’s got a flash new set of wheels with wheelchair access, officially blessed and commissioned onto its popular health shuttle and Friendship Drive runs at a launch morning tea on August 18.
Made possible by a $148,000 Impact100 grant, the new vehicle will be complemented by a new Rav4 vehicle also purchased with the grant. Hopefully arriving later this year, this will provide back-up for extra passengers and other non-clinical community education outreach programmes. The grant also covers the first three years of running costs for the health shuttle service. Impact100 supporters voted on five local projects last year, choosing St John Wakatipu for the main $148,000 grant.
About 35 guests gathered for the blessing by St John chaplain Rev Dr Robyn McPhail at St John’s.
St John Wakatipu community engagement co-ordinator Sarah Bloxham says they’re extremely grateful to Impact100. The beautiful new vehicle is “amazing” and will make a huge difference to so many.
The mobility access means those who are wheelchair bound can now access health appointments in the likes of Dunedin and Invercargill through the health shuttle service, thanks to the wheelchair hoist. Numbers for this service are rising back to what they were pre-Covid.
St John’s Friendship Drives, getting elderly no longer able to drive out on community outings, are extremely popular and with increasing living and petrol costs there’s even more demand. The new shuttle moonlights at weekends offering this service. “We’re getting ready to expand this service into Central Otago as we’re seeing more elderly from Cromwell finding it hard to get what they need,” says Bloxham. “We’re really working at expanding the Friendship Drives into Cromwell and growing this service to help build more resilient and healthier communities,” she says. “Our elderly need things like IT items, or have scans in Queenstown, so we can bring them over and take them for a coffee while they’re here.” A recent trip to the Cavalcade at Millers Flat was a huge hit as was ‘LUMAbility’ – a twilight sneak preview at LUMA. Other outings include afternoon tea at Millbrook and trips on the Kingston Flyer.
“It’s just so rewarding seeing the delight on their faces as they get out and engage with the community,” says Bloxham, whose nine-year-old son Henry often rides along too, interacting with the elderly. “That inter-generational connection is very special.” A Cromwell College 14-year-old doing her William Pyke Challenge community service has also been volunteering and Bloxham says they really need more volunteer drivers to join.
The weekend Friendship Drives are immensely popular and fulfil a valuable community role for those who are otherwise housebound or not confident to attend community events alone.
Local Impact100 chair Clare Irons says St John does incredible work in the community and it’s fantastic to partner with them. “The health shuttle gets people to their health appointments and the Friendship Drives get those most vulnerable, who can’t get out, into the community to enjoy what we all take for granted,” she says. “It was important for us to see what a huge need there was for that befriending service and how transformational it’s been.”
Two $100,000 grants will be available this year and applications from local charities have just closed. Now in its fourth year, Impact100 was established by the Wakatipu Community Foundation as an impactful giving initiative.
To volunteer or drive for St John’s health shuttle or Friendship Drives contact:
Sarah Bloxham – sarah.bloxham@stjohn.org.nz - 027 208 4016
