Simon Reed is one of several St John volunteers whose training was funded by a charity boxing event in Kerikeri. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Boxing event boosts coffers and skills for St John
When Kerikeri licensed builder Simon Reed had a brush with death a few years ago, little did he know it would ignite an interest in the field of paramedicine.
After sitting in on a St John training evening and a few ambulance ride-alongs, he was hooked as an ambulance volunteer.
''But it was something I'd been considering for a long time. On a ski trip to the States I had a look at a ski field emergency room and thought that'd be an interesting career.''
As his interest in prehospital emergency care grew, so did his quest for knowledge and further qualifications. Four years later and Reed is embarking on an academic journey striving towards a degree in paramedicine at AUT.
"Having not been at school for some years, doing this degree is challenging," Reed said.
"With distance learning I can extend my clinical knowledge and still continue operating as a self-employed builder, and cover my regular voluntary road shifts."
Reed's goal is to complete his Bachelor of Health Sciences degree in the next three years and possibly start a new career as a St John paramedic.
Kerikeri St John station manager Nick Scott said several of his volunteers had had similar experiences.
"They come to one of our training nights to test the waters only to discover they really enjoy the learning, camaraderie and the rewarding feeling of being able to give something back to the community. Once they get through the application process and get out as an observer on the ambulances, they're usually hooked.
"The problem we have currently is that our in-service training only goes up to diploma level so most volunteers stop their learning at this level. If they wish to progress to paramedic level they need to self-fund their degrees, which can cost thousands of dollars.
"What we had to come up with was a scholarship-style training fund which would help support volunteers in the Far North through their tertiary papers."
That was where the New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Bay of Islands/Far North committee came in. Five years ago they kick-started the Far North Training Fund by donating the profits from a 2013 charity boxing event in Kerikeri.
Mark Todd, NZCB regional president, said: "We recognised the great work St John do every day in the Far North so Certified Builders got behind the idea to initiate, and now continue the training fund."
Since its inception, more than a dozen ambulance volunteers from places like Kaitaia, Paihia, Umawera and Kerikeri have benefited from the fund, with some already completing their paramedic degrees.
"Higher qualifications are the future of our profession," Reed said. "No longer are we simply ambulance drivers as we were 20-odd years ago, we actually deliver a very high level of clinical care to our patients."
Helping volunteers like Reed get their qualifications was a win-win, because it encouraged volunteers to improve their skills through distance learning while also giving the community better qualified officers.
This year's Certified Builders Charity Boxing Event will be on August 18 at the Turner Centre. The proceeds will bolster Far North St John's training fund and support its work in the community. More details about the event will be revealed in upcoming editions of Bay News Bites.
— by Nick Scott
Bookworm heaven
It's possibly the most anticipated event of the year for Mid North bookworms and it's back in just under two weeks' time.
Waipapa Rotary Club will hold its annual second-hand book fair on Friday, August 3, and Saturday, August 4, in BaySport stadium on Harmony Lane, off Waipapa Rd just before the State Highway 10 intersection. The hours will be 2pm-7pm on Friday and 9am-2pm on Saturday.
Club member Geoff Tilley said up to 15,000 books would be up for grabs – no one has attempted a precise count – with particularly good numbers of classic, collectable and children's books this year.
The book fair is the club's biggest fundraiser of the year with proceeds going to international and local projects.
Can you help Rotary?
Waipapa Rotary Club, which is organising the book fair mentioned above, has run into a wee logistical problem this year – where to store the books that aren't sold but need to be kept for next year.
Member Geoff Tilley said the club needed a packhouse, large double garage or disused shop to store unsold books and sort out new donations.
"We thought we were all sorted but now we've got nowhere to bring the unsold books afterwards."
Anyone who can help would be assisting Rotary's community projects. Call Geoff on (09) 407 8288 if you have a suitable storage space.
Vegas in Kerikeri
The Turner Centre Jazz Club is promising to transport guests at this Friday's session back to 1950s Las Vegas.
Adrian Keeling (vocals) and Jane Horder (vocals, piano) will perform music from the jazz/swing duo Louis Prima and Keely Smith, who had a long-running show at the Sahara Casino in Vegas in the 1950s.
Their hits included songs such as Just A Gigolo – Ain't Got Nobody, That Old Black Magic and Up A Lazy River, to name a few.
In New Zealand Keeling is perhaps best known for his role in the hospital drama Shortland Street. However, he has also performed in stage shows in London's West End, with the 1932 Jazz Orchestra and, more recently, the tribute band Prima. He moved to Kerikeri with his family in 1980, acting with the Kerikeri Players while his wife ran the Keeling Dance Academy.
Horder has performed alongside top jazz musicians and conducted the surprise concert for jazz legend Russ Garcia in 2009. She has toured in shows such as Chess, Chicago and Hello, Dolly!, and has sung with the Queen City Big Band.
Keeling and Horder will be backed by the talented Mike Walker Trio. The Theatre Bar doors open at 5pm on Friday, July 27, with the bar open from 5.30pm and live music from 6pm. Entry $10.
Latch on to breast feeding
The Big Latch On – an annual celebration of breast feeding – returns to Northland on Friday, August 3, with events at the Plunket Rooms in Kaitaia and Kerikeri, Hauora Hokianga in Rawene, and Toll Stadium in Whangarei. Registration will start at 9.30am with the latch-on getting under way at 10.30am. Last year a record 97 mums and 102 babies took part in Whangarei alone.
Birdman results
In case you missed the results from Russell's Birdman Festival last week … The winner of the Supreme Birdman title went to Tim Grant/Russell Recyclers, for an entry called Plastic Wrapper highlighting the harm caused to marine life by plastic waste.
Other winners included most innovative design: Pania Sigley and Maryanne Hooson, Yellow Submarine, Russell; Crowd favourite: Daya and Jahnu Rosemeyer, Dave and Jane Go Bonkers, Golden Bay; cleverest craft: Blast Taniwha, Kerikeri; best stage show: Project Island Song, Russell/Auckland; Drag race winner: Paul ''Shazza'' McBride, Auckland; Fred Dagg dash: Jules ''Bazza'' Mills, Auckland.
Biz Paihia AGM
Business Paihia is holding its AGM at the Scenic Circle Hotel from 5pm on Friday, August 3. The group is hoping plenty of members turn out for a chance to catch up and network in midwinter. All welcome.
Stitch and Bitch
Opua now has its own "Stitch and Bitch" group which meets every Tuesday from 7pm-9pm in the Opua Community Hall. The organisers describe Stitch and Bitch as a gathering of creative people who want to enjoy good conversation, inspiration and a cuppa.
Participants are welcome to bring any kind of art or craft project – it doesn't have to be stitching – and a gold coin to cover costs. Phone 027 752 4648 for more information.
'Sensory chair' fundraiser
Kerikeri Retirement Village has taken delivery of a sensory chair to help calm, soothe and comfort residents in its care unit, particularly dementia patients.
The village is believed to be the first aged-care facility in New Zealand to provide the equipment, more properly known as a Wellness Nordic Relax Chair, for its residents.
The $18,000 chair delivers tactile stimulation, such as deep pressure and soft vibration, for more relaxing sleep and to boost feelings of calmness and security. It can also rock gently, helping to reduce physical discomfort and mental conditions such as anxiety, agitation and depression.
It was bought after a mammoth fundraising effort led by departing clinical manager Jan Bennenbroek and comprising takings from the annual Village Fete and donations from village residents, their families and the Kerikeri community.
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Initial construction work on the next section is set to begin by the end of next year.