First National Foundation donates to help save burns victims

The First National Foundation has donated $30,000 to the National Burn Centre. Photo / Supplied

The First National Foundation has donated a further $30,000 to the National Burns Service, New Zealand's celebrated specialist burns treatment facilities.

First National Real Estate Rotorua's Ann Crossley, also a trustee of the First National Foundation, made the presentation at the New Zealand-wide sales awards for First National Real Estate, held in Rotorua last night.

"This service is extraordinary, and we're proud to hold it close to us at First National Foundation, and to keep on giving," she said.

"It was the National Burns Service that leapt into action at the recent Whakaari White Island eruption, and their expertise saved so many lives.

"Volcanic burns can be a chemical as well as a thermal burn, and New Zealand should celebrate that it has such incredible treatment teams available."

First National Foundation Trust's donation will be used for specialist education for nurses, whose role in the treatment of burns needs particular skill and expertise.

Previous donations have helped fund smart TVs and iPads for recovering victims. The iPads were used for remote communication between patients and families because patients are in isolation for long periods of time because of the risk of infection.

The First National Foundation Trust was set up in 2009 to benefit the communities of New Zealand.

Each First National Real Estate office donates to the foundation annually, and an auction is held at the First National Annual Awards night which also raises funds for the burns service.

Real estate offices are also able to purchase fire kits, including fire blankets and extinguishers, to give to new homeowners or sellers. $5 from each such purchase is given to the burns service.

"All our offices are real contributors to their communities," Crossley said.

"They're truly a part of them. The foundation was set up so that our real estate sales agencies could give back directly and tangibly to the communities they serve."