Marton gets a new $185K ambulance from community funds

Jasleen Saluja, Kevin Thomson, Dame Betty Simpson have a look inside the new ambulance. Photo / Bevan Conley.

It has become a full circle of giving back as Marton's St John had been donated a new $185,000 ambulance from funds raised through local Pub Charity services.

On Wednesday morning a dedication service was held at the Marton ambulance station with local dignitaries and representatives from Pub Charity and St John attending.

Jamie Butler, St John territory manager for Whanganui, said the new vehicle would help them out a great deal.

"Given the kilometres a truck like Marton's does, we were in need of a new one to keep everything up to speed," he said.

Covering from Marton to Hunterville, Whanganui and Patea, it was a very big area to support, Butler said.

At times patients will need to be taken to Whanganui Hospital or Palmerston North Hospital and the kilometres start to add up.

Andrew Boyd, general manager of the St John central region, said the new ambulance was a generation three, replacing their previous generation two.

"Its a new generation of ambulances with state of the art technology such as power lift stretchers so the team no longer have to lift stretchers on their own," Boyd said.

Funds were raised through Pub Charities local gaming machines hosted in Gretna Hotel, Rangitikei Tavern and Captain Cooks Bar and several from the Manawatu region.

Janette Horan, fundraising and marketing manager for the St John Central Region said they worked with Pub Charity to work out where there was a common gap in the community.

"They needed to know the money they're raising is going back into the community it's raised in and this evolved a partnership between us that we were able to fulfill that need," she said.

Jasleen Saluja, Kevin Thomson, Dame Betty Simpson and Fr. John Roberts came together for a dedication service for the new Marton ambulance. Photo / Bevan Conley.

St John applied for funding through a Pub Charity grant that then went through a contestable process and then through an independent board, funds were allocated based on the merits of the application.

St John central region received $369,902 to purchase two new generation three ambulances.

The second ambulance, which is being donated to St John Palmerston North was also on show at the dedication service.

"It's nice putting something new into the community that's going to sustain a bit of longevity, we hope," Horan said.