Whakarewarewa first response unit fully funded for 2021 after four more funders sign on

The Rotorua Mountain Bike Club first response unit has been saving lives since 2016. Photo / Supplied

Four funders have pledged to rescue Rotorua Mountain Bike Club's First Response Unit.

The Phillip Verry Charitable Foundation, McDonald's Rotorua, Trevelyan's Pack and Cool Ltd, and First National Real Estate have ridden to the rescue of a service many in Rotorua have come to see as essential, after it lost its major funder.

First National principal Ann Crossley. Photo / NZME

First National principal Ann Crossley said supporting the vital service the unit provided fitted with the company's culture.

"It would be absolutely criminal if [the response unit] wasn't in the forest," Crossley said.

Crossley and her business partner Murray Piesse have both called on the unit for help in the past and were passionate about seeing the service continue.

"We're both mountain bikers. Murray has come across people who needed help in the forest. I had a mechanical issue," Crossley said.

"They are a very visible and amazing service. Biking, walking, horse riding, when you take any of these activities into the forest, if anything happens you're a long way from any reasonable help."

Trevelyan's Pack and Cool Limited spokesperson Ash Cleaver said one of the company's managers, Adam Franklin, had recently needed the first response service.

"Without such support in place, we could have had a very different outcome," Cleaver said.

"This work is critical, and it's relevant to Trevelyan's staff and community. We feel we have the opportunity, by supporting the RMTBC First Response unit, to extend our tautoko to other regions where our people are based."

Linley Parry and her husband jumped at the chance to support the first response unit. Photo / NZME

McDonald's Rotorua owners Linley and Rob Parry are in Whakarewarewa forest most days and have seen the work the unit does first-hand.

"When we found out ACC had cut funding, we made contact straight away," Linley Parry said.

"We fully support what the unit has been doing for our visitors. It's fantastic to have skilled experts available to help everyone who goes through the forest."

Phillip Verry Charitable Foundation spokeswoman Louise Dinmore said the decision to support the unit came after being approached by staff members of Red Stag Timber who were keen bikers.

"We were keen to support the first response unit as a service to the Rotorua community and to help encourage people to lead healthy and adventurous lives, while still ensuring help was available should an accident happen."

The Whakarewarewa forest's first-response unit has been saving lives and helping injured mountain bikers reach help since 2016.

In the year before the service was offered, there were 825 ACC claims for mountain biking injuries in the Rotorua district, costing more than $1.2 million.

The first response unit team in 2017. Photo / NZME

The service then contracted Peak Safety to deliver a first response unit that can reach emergency victims within 10 minutes and it has helped an estimated 1000 riders in strife.

But in December last year, this service was put in jeopardy when ACC decided not to renew funding for the unit.

The unit costs $140,000 annually to run. Over the past three years, ACC has provided $252,600 of financial support, which equated to 60 per cent of the $420,000 needed in that time.

Since ACC's announcement, the unit has made multiple funding applications and in April the Giant 2W Enduro event donated $20,000 to the service.

The donation was a boost for the unit, but the uphill battle wasn't over yet.

Rotorua Mountain Bike Club committee member Erin Eggleston told the Rotorua Daily Post about the unit's journey.

"Over the past six months, we've given ourselves the mission of transitioning the first response unit from service that was funded largely by Government and grants to a service that is funded by us, the people," Eggleston said.

The first response unit provides professional medics in the forest on weekends, public holidays and school holidays and on-call during the week. Photo / NZME

Eggleston didn't want to disclose the amounts from and agreements made with each sponsor but said the mountain bike club wanted to acknowledge and thank them.

"Sponsor support means we can continue to operate the service at the same levels, with professional medics in the forest on weekends, public holidays and school holidays and on-call during the week."

Eggleston said the service was seeking a sponsor to fund a new, purpose-built van to replace its current vehicle. It would be used to transport injured riders to ambulance services while keeping them warm and monitoring their vital functions.

While the unit is funded for 2021, the hunt is not on for funds for 2022.

In an emergency, the first response unit can be reached by calling 0800 WHAKA1 or 0800 942 521.