Plenty of interest in St John recruitment hīkoi

Hitting the road . . . Hato Hone St John will be driving State Highway 35 next week in a three-day professional and volunteer recruitment drive which will feature stops at Te Kaha, Waihau Bay, Te Araroa and Ōpōtiki. Whanganui Chronicle picture

Hato Hone St John’s recruitment hīkoi around the East Cape next week looks set to draw a strong response from the community if interest shown for the Te Kaha event can be taken as an indication.

Whakaōrite Whiwhinga Mahi, the organisation’s first region-wide targeted recruitment initiative in Tairāwhiti and the Eastern Bay of Plenty, starts on December 4 at Te Kura o Te Whānau-a-Apanui in Te Kaha.

“We are expecting around 130 people at the Te Kaha event, possibly more,” a St John spokeswoman said.

St John has partnered with tertiary, local iwi, hapū, whānau and hauora Māori providers, with the mission of ensuring the health workforce better represents the communities they serve.

The three-day recruitment drive will be set up at either ambulance stations or marae along the way.

Te Kaha’s event runs from 9am to 11.30am on December 4. They then move on to the Waihau Bay St John ambulance station (1pm to 3.30pm).

On Tuesday, December 5, it moves to Te Araroa (9am to 11am) at Te Waha O Rerekohu School, then to the Ruatōria St John station (1pm to 3pm) that afternoon.

It finishes at Terere Marae in Ōpōtiki on December 6 (10am to midday).

The recruitment drive is aimed at attracting professional and volunteer involvement in St John.