Side by side Nov/Dec 2016 lq

Side by side Volunteer news | Nov-Dec 2016

In this issue

Welcome I am very pleased to have this opportunity to contribute to this last Side by Side newsletter for 2016, and to be able to pass on my personal thanks to all volunteers in all parts of St John across New Zealand.

You do a wonderful job for our communities and St John. I have been fortunate as Chancellor to meet many of you and hear first hand about the extraordinary contribution you make day in day out – thank you all.

2016 has been a challenging year in many respects for St John as we look to secure sustainable funding for our ambulance service, to give us the opportunity to invest in all parts of St John more equitably over the coming years. As I write this, I am hopeful we will get the funding we need and we should hear about that later in 2017. This will act as the spring board we need to launch our new five year strategy. It will also allow us to continue to support all our community

activities which is so important for St John in our communities.

Along with the challenges in 2016, we can also point to some excellent success, and we know that our patients, customers and donors continue to receive excellent care and attention. Without your involvement this would not be possible.

At the November Priory Trust Board meeting, we received an update on how many of you had signed the volunteer agreement, and I am pleased to see the many thousands of you who have done this – thank you. I believe that is an important agreement that underpins how we work side by side with you and you with us, and I look forward to seeing the remainder of you signing the agreement early in the new year.

Finally, I would like to wish you and all your families, who I know provide invaluable support to you, a very enjoyable festive period, and a happy and successful 2017.

Dr Steven Evans Chancellor

2 Diversity and Inclusion – more than a state of mind

Feeling the festive cheer in St John Opportunity Shops

3 St John fun at South Island Santa parades 4 Christmas lunch for Rotorua volunteers

What it means to be a St John volunteer

5 Message from Tom Dodd 6 Peer supporters 7 Volunteer exchange programme 8 Earthquake heroes: ambulance volunteers go beyond the call 9 On-road/off-road relationships

International Volunteers Day: Together We Can

10 Congratulations Volunteer of the Month and Volunteer of the Year

Volunteering New Zealand conference

11 Hub talk

Volunteers November – December 2016

Diversity and Inclusion – more than a state of mind On 3 December, the members of the Volunteer Support Group had a thought-provoking Phil Rankin – Volunteer presentation on St John’s Ambulance Officer and Diversity and Inclusion strategy. This caused me to Volunteers Advisor cast my mind back to 1995 when my then employer announced a diversity policy that had one simple objective – value everyone equally, working together. On some levels there remains an absolute concern that, in 2016, we as a society are still struggling in this space, although we have and continue to make progress towards this goal in society - and also in St John.

Why is diversity so important? After all, isn’t it everyone else’s concern because I accept everyone, right? If only it was that easy! Most of us have the right intention – we just don’t always know how to make things better. Focussing on diversity and inclusion means that this is front of mind and we continue to focus on our individual and collective unconscious biases.

Improving diversity in St John sounds like a big job. How will we ever know when we have achieved it? The reality is that as our society – and the communities within it – evolve, our organisation needs to continually evolve along with them. It seems to me that this is particularly important if St John is to remain the ‘charity of choice’.

As the demographics of our communities and, therefore, our patients and customers continue to change, a living organisation needs to respond to these changes and evolve along with them. If we don’t do this, our possible workforce (paid and volunteer) will diminish, and our products and services will start to become less relevant – or only be relevant to a decreasing number of people.

The St John Diversity and Inclusion Policy considers a person’s identity across ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, socio-economic background, and even thought. Diversity of thought – being open to and embracing difference, working side by side to better understand where people are coming from and what they bring – adds real value, helping to build a healthy, diverse organisation that better reflects the composition and needs of the communities we serve.

I see diversity as a kind of wealth that increases people’s sense of being valued and which enhances productivity, creativity and innovation – as well as job satisfaction and engagement.

Our Governors and Executive Management Team are all working to set the right tone and, as I see it, it’s now everyone’s responsibility to follow their lead and consider how we can and should contribute to building a truly

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accepting, safe and diverse environment in which to volunteer and work.

St John is setting up a Diversity Council which aims to give voice to underrepresented groups within our organisation; it will make a real difference by influencing in all the right places, including at the highest levels of the organisation. I’m hopeful you’ve seen the advert and applied for a place on the group if you identify with a minority identity group and/ or believe you have something to contribute. It’s important that the volunteer voice forms part of this ongoing dialogue so think about what you may be able to offer.

Don’t forget to say thanks 5 December was International Volunteers Day. By the time this edition of Side by Side has been released, it will be close to Christmas and approaching end of 2016. On behalf of the Volunteer Support Group, thank you for all you do for St John and your communities. We wish you all a safe festive session with your friends and family.

Feeling the festive cheer in St John Opportunity Shops With the season for giving upon us, and amid the hectic Christmas rush, our St John values are as important as ever. Our ‘Side by Side’ value in action can be found in our 37 St John op shops, which stretch from Kaikohe to Invercargill, and present us with plenty of ways to give back this Christmas.

Perhaps you have quality goods that could use a new home, perhaps you have time to give by volunteering in your local store, or perhaps you’re looking for that perfect Christmas gift that won’t cost the earth?

Being named New Zealand’s most trusted charity, St John has an ideal platform to encourage the community to head in-store, whether to donate, volunteer or shop with us.

St John National Retail Manager Steve Montgomery says the op shops are fantastic “billboards” for St John, but they

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It’s an exciting time ahead for St John op shops, with several new stores in the pipeline for the New Year, but first comes Christmas and lots of bargain gifts up for grabs!

Go to www.stjohn.org.nz/Shop/Opportunity-Shopcontacts-Nationwide/ for a list of stores.

St John fun at South Island Santa parades St John was highly visible at various Santa parades throughout the South Island. Youth were out in force alongside Amby, the model ambulance from ASB St John in Schools, and other St John staff.

This high profile event showcases our brand to the community and our place in a young person’s world.

rely on everyone’s backing to meet their ultimate objective.

“Ultimately, our 37 stores nationwide exist to earn money that will support our many different community fundraising projects. Whether funds are needed to facilitate local St John Youth programmes, purchase new ambulances and Health Shuttles, or buy new equipment; the stores are there help us carry on our life-saving and life-changing work,” says Steve.

St John Community Shop Manager Heather Hannagan, who runs the Dunedin shop, says her work is extremely rewarding. “I love that I’m giving something back to the community by offering excellent customer service, and up-cycling and recycling people’s used goods, which then become other people’s treasure,” says Heather. “It’s also very personally rewarding for our volunteers, who enjoy making new friends, learning new skills and feeling like they’re part of an extended family. We work hard but we always have plenty of laughs and support each other in times of need.”

In the popular Dunedin store, the youngest volunteer is 19 and the oldest volunteer is 91, so there is no limit to who can volunteer – anyone wanting to give back to their community should apply.

Likewise, there’s no limit to the products that can be donated, as long as they are quality household goods that other people might love to own. St John can even arrange pick-up of donations.

“Our biggest sellers are women’s fashion – clothes, shoes, handbags and jewellery – but I would love more nice furniture,” adds Heather.

Volunteers November – December 2016

St John Rotorua volunteers join Santa parade Volunteers from Youth, Operations, Shuttle and Area Committee had a great time in the Rotorua Santa parade held on 3 December.

Christmas lunch for Rotorua volunteers As their final assessment, the Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology Culinary Arts students catered a top notch meal for Rotorua St John volunteers. With small gifts and crackers from the Area Committee, it became a wonderful Christmas lunch. Everyone had an amazing time with good food and laughter abounding. The volunteers were treated like VIPs from the moment they walked in and were greeted at the door by the chefs. There was also a beautiful gingerbread house given to Deanna MacDonald who kindly donated it to Rotorua Youth.

– Susan Wedgwood, Rotorua Area Committee member

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What it means to be a St John volunteer People have often asked why and when I joined St John and I guess I have a fairly standard answer: in 1976, I had the time and interest, was recently married, teaching full time, knew my community reasonably well and wanted something away from home and farm to fill in some spare time. The rest is history; as years passed filled with husband, three children, two grandchildren, extended family and business and community interests as circumstances changed – as we all know they do. Why would I not volunteer? After all we don’t volunteer because we have nothing else to do in our lives do we! I was blessed by growing up in a family descended from Scottish immigrants who arrived in New Zealand with four shillings and sixpence (45 cents today) in 1859.

They subsequently produced and raised 12 children while building a farming enterprise to be proud of. Their work ethic, care of family and neighbours, their determination and tenacity filtered down through successive generations and, as society changed, those motivating forces adapted to meet the needs of the day and times. Helping others has, for our family, simply been part of our lives.

So that’s the why and when, but why did I stay? And like some of you reading this, I suspect I have company when I say that there have been times when I asked that of myself!

I did enjoy long periods of volunteering with Guiding New Zealand and Plunket and it was in those organisations that I was able to benefit greatly from self-development programmes and specific volunteering skills based training. St John did not offer training of that nature for (then) Association Committee people (forerunner of Area Committees).

But there’s something about St John which defies description. Something akin to smoke creeping under a door, a wind howling around a corner – you know it’s there, it has a presence, it’s just a bit quick to catch and nail down. And then something might challenge us and we are suddenly surrounded by people who show they care about us; that’s when we know that we are where we belong. This happened to our family and wider community. Just after midnight we experienced a 7.8 earthquake. As cupboards downstairs flew open, china and glassware smashed to smithereens, things fell from walls, the 110-year-old lounge mantle clock kept striking as though in warning, we stayed upstairs – unsure whether or not the stairs were intact and, of course, the power had long gone. As the shaking subsided, we located torches, shoes and warm clothing and ventured slowly downstairs. Met by the sight of an indescribable mess, we collected the car keys and set out to our family living just down the hill – a very slow and cautious trip. All six of us were safe and unharmed and

Volunteers November – December 2016

two-year-old William slept through the lot! It is fair to say we were shattered and have never felt more vulnerable.

Having shaken and shuddered together, we returned home, leaving the mess assessment until daylight. All phones were out and aftershocks continued. Many of you will have experienced similar situations where we give thanks for having been spared injury and loss other than of material goods, which after all are only ‘stuff’. Days later, when power and phones were restored and messages could be checked, tears flowed as I read and listened to the most caring and thoughtful messages – 93 in all – from friends and colleagues from afar afield as Bali, Sydney and London, and Gore to New Zealand’s far north. So many St John friends from today and times past were included in this number.

It was overwhelming. I simply don’t have the words to tell you just how much that support meant and what a real difference it made to us all.

The first of wide ranging offers of support from St John had been recorded at 6.18am the morning of the shake. That members of our Management Team had made these calls at such an early hour was indeed humbling and reinforced for my family and for me just what an extraordinary organisation this is. What is so comforting and generous is the kindness and genuine goodness of the people we work alongside.

About 10 days after the first quake, we had an unexpected visit from a team of operational personnel, three of whom were about to fly into Kaikoura. Usually Auckland and South Island based, they seemed prepared for almost any eventuality as they squeezed into a well loaded vehicle, but the overriding impression they left us with was that they were there to support the local personnel and do whatever they could to ease the stress of the circumstances those teams were experiencing. Their general cheerfulness and interest in how the event had impacted our community was also for us a real tonic, we were so very pleased to see them.

It’s at times like this that I am reminded how much we are ‘One St John’, irrespective of what roles we fill, whether volunteer or full time, new to the organisation or around since 1976, we can’t do what we do without one another.

So, should you ever need to know how to clean up a concoction featuring, amongst other things, contents of the new golden syrup tin, split honey jars seasoned with balsamic vinegar and red peppers, miscellaneous dry goods with texture added by the lovingly preserved fruits from last summer – and, of course, the remnants of whatever the goods were stored in – just give us a call. But as a start, you need a strong arm and a great big square mouthed shovel!

From our home to yours, may you all enjoy a safe and happy Christmas and may 2017 bring you all you wish for yourself and your family. Thank you all for your continuing service to and in the name of St John.

– Judith Hoban, Priory Chapter Member

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Message from Tom Dodd Human Resources and Order Matters Director I’m leaving St John to take up another General Manager HR role in Wellington and want to take this opportunity to say farewell and thank you to all our volunteers. I’ve been reflecting on my time with St John and thought I’d share a verse from one of my favourite poets, Leonard Cohen.

Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack, a crack in everything That’s how the light gets in.

To me, the verse is about accepting that life is not perfect and that allows us to see beauty and positive things despite the imperfections. It can be very easy in life to focus on what’s not right and what’s wrong instead of what’s going well. My enduring memory of St John will be that I contributed to it becoming much stronger and connected with some great people. Imperfect and frustrating a large and complex organisation like St John is sometimes, it is founded on great values of helping others and building community (which we need more of these days) and my life has been better for that association. The principle of helping others is exemplified so well in volunteering and I continue to be humbled by the service that you, our volunteers, give to your community.

I have been leading the revision of our HR (People) Plan for the next five years before I go (based on input from many others) and it has an overarching vision which builds on the work over the last few years and expresses my personal hopes for all St John people: to attract, develop and grow St John people in a values-based culture; to support them in being the best they can so they can care for and make a difference to New Zealand communities well into the future. Whiria te tangata (weave the people together).

We’d like to hear from you!

If you have ideas for how St John can best reward and recognise volunteers, or a story for the newsletter, a question or some feedback to share, please contact us at communications@stjohn.org.nz.

If you don’t have email access you can ask your team leader or manager to send a message on your behalf, or you can contact us via mail: Communications St John National Headquarters 2 Harrison Road Auckland

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Peer supporters St John operates an integrated staff support model in which peer supporters are staff who are specially selected and trained to provide access to confidential support for all operational members, following a serious or distressing incident.

Our volunteer Peer Support team are operational staff with special training that operate under a clear set of expectations, particularly those related to maintaining absolute confidentiality and professionalism. Nothing discussed with Peer Support will be repeated unless (in extreme circumstances) there is a risk of harm to self or others, and you would always be advised if the peer supporter felt something needed to be taken further.

There is a robust complaint process if you believe these standards have not been met. Because peer supporters are operational staff, they understand what you do in your day to day work within operations. They have the knowledge of other agencies available for further support if needed.

A peer supporter is: >> a trained St John person who provides support to other colleagues in challenging situations, such as tough job or personal challenges >> a gateway to referrals services if someone needs further help >> a friendly ear from someone who understands what people do in their day to day work in operations, and will provide support >> only trained staff who have been through the St John Peer Support Programme can be called a peer supporter >> peer supporters take confidentiality very seriously; nothing said will be repeated unless there is risk of harm to self or others.

A peer supporter is not: >> >> >> >> >> >>

a union delegate someone who goes into disciplinary meetings with you a manager a counsellor a bullying and harassment expert a person who tells you what to do.

How you can access Peer Support: All operational staff, both paid and volunteers, can access Peer Support. Peer supporter contact details are available on notice boards at all stations as well as through: >> >> >> >> >> >>

colleagues word of mouth territory manager duty manager shift supervisors Clinical Control Centre.

Support services in St John: Peer Support

MAP

Manager

Person

HR inc HSW

Colleagues

Chaplains

Peer Support team in Kaikoura Several members of the Peer Support team, including Juliet Fitzpatrick and Rowan Hook, spent time in Kaikoura, postearthquake, supporting our local St John crews and area committee members. The Peer Support team, individually, spent several days in the region contacting people, making themselves available for those who wanted to talk and joining in the occasional social event. “Our role was about making contact with each staff member and checking that they had housing and supplying temporary accommodation where needed, and that they had food and were mentally ok dealing with the situation,” says Rowan Hook.

While the local Kaikoura team are very resilient and are doing amazing work despite the big upheaval in their lives, they were appreciative of the support offered and the simple acknowledgement of times being tough. “Kaikoura Station Manager Don Wright certainly has a dedicated crew,” says Juliet Fitzpatrick. “They are a credit to him and each other. It has been really encouraging to see how Peer Support has been valued and endorsed by management, and received by our teams on the ground. Thank you!”

Our thoughts continue to be with our Kaikoura and Canterbury colleagues as we enter the Christmas and New Year period.

Peer supporter Rowan Hook

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Your stories South Australian Ambulance Service volunteer exchange programme Sean Lockyear and Helen Wilson were among our four representatives to the South Australian Ambulance Service volunteer exchange programme held from 19 October to 2 November. They attended the SAAS Traumed conference, went on station visits and explored the sights of South Australia. Sean and Helen share their experience on the programme.

From left, Sean Lockyear, Pepe Gudsell, Helen Wilson and Katie Graves

Sean Lockyear: life long memories and new friends After spending the first part of the trip with my colleagues in Adelaide visiting all the different aspects of the metro ambulance service and then a conference themed around mental health, I was sent out to the Eyre Peninsula on the western part of South Australia. I spent a lot of my time visiting volunteer stations along the coast of South Australia.

I was hosted by an ex-Kiwi, Territory Manager Campbell Forsyth. I was based out of a beautiful town called Port Lincoln. Campbell showed me some amazing sights and I’ll never forget the people I have met and the experiences I have had. I even managed to have a little camping trip in the outback, six hours north of Adelaide, to enjoy my other hobby – astrophotography. All in all, I am tremendously grateful for the opportunity St John has given me to participate in this exchange. I have made some life-long memories and some new friends along the way. I highly recommend this opportunity to all volunteers.

Helen Wilson: it’s the most inspiring trip The programme was the most amazing insight into ‘ambo’ life in South Australia. From the moment we landed in Adelaide, we were given an amazing tour of the SAAS: from headquarters to communications, from clinical education to joining training on station, from touring the Fulham vehicle maintenance centre to seeing the different specialist equipment used for emergency rescue and retrieval, and from seeing the Emergency Department at the Royal Adelaide Hospital to seeing the new Flying Doctor headquarters. The volunteer conference let us learn more about the service and

how it looks after its volunteers. Many friendships were made.

Our billets gave us a local insight to a volunteer station in their territory and arranged shifts on their ambulance so we could see how it all works in practice. We also got to see some local sights along the way and meet some awesome people. Thank you to all those who were involved in organising our stay – you did a great job. Thank you to all who were hosts or our guides – thank you for patiently answering our questions and showing us around your patch. I wish to thank St. John for the opportunity and I want to encourage my fellow volunteers to apply for the exchange – it’s the most inspiring trip.

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uniform. Once they were safe with family, she explained to her perplexed eight, nine and 12-year-olds that she had to leave.

“I said, ‘I have to go’. Breaking that to the kids was quite hard.

They were crying. People said, ‘You don’t have to go’. ‘No, I do. I can’t in good conscience stay here,’ I said.”

Her partner drove her to the ambulance station. She was worried about the roads – daylight revealed fat cracks in the highway between South Bay and the main town.

Sara van Reenen, left, and Ginnaya MacDonald

Earthquake heroes: ambulance volunteers go beyond the call Ginnaya MacDonald is a good woman with an unenviable record: “I’ve been in all the major earthquakes,” she says nonchalantly. When the second Christchurch earthquake totalled their Avonside house, she and her partner piled their three young kids into the car that night and just left.

They never went back. Instead, they moved to Kaikoura’s South Bay and started again. MacDonald set up a coffee cart in the tourist town’s main street.

Then in July 2013, she was in Seddon coming back from a school function when the 6.5 magnitude quake fractured that town. So when the world rocked again on Monday morning, it brought it all back. But this time, there was no turning her back on the drama.

She got halfway up the peninsula hill – taking her children to high ground in case of a tsunami – when she remembered she was on call as a St John ambulance volunteer. She went back down in the quivering dark to fetch her pager and

St John shaped the person I am today Being a part of St John for more than half my life has shaped the person I am today. The life-skills gained from the endless opportunities on offer have been invaluable in my pursuits in life so far. The list of things I have gotten from volunteering for St John is never ending, but I have outlined some key achievements: >> confidence - being more comfortable when talking to people, and remaining composed when put in highpressure situations. It has also allowed me to be more confident in my own abilities, knowing that I can achieve things that I set my mind to >> communication skills - interacting with people of all ages, I have realised the importance of active listening, but also how to convey information in a way that is easy to understand both verbally and non-verbally and how to cater for different audiences. This has been particularly useful in presentations, day to day interactions and when building rapport with others

At the ambulance station, in the heart of the potential tsunami zone, Sara van Reenen had forced open one jammed door and driven out one ambulance. The second had to be manouevred out the same door with a 360-degree turn.

In the pitch black, they negotiated road and bridge damage to transport patients with fractured femurs and fractured hips.

People vomited from sheer shock. It was busy, but not chaotic.

Kaikoura is a town of the stoic and resourceful.

MacDonald got home at 5am. She was back by 11am, shifting from first aider to admin support to the commander. She’s barely left since. Her kids visit at the hospital, where the St John team is based.

Unable to do her day job as head chef at the Pier Hotel, van Reenen decamped to the hospital kitchen. Every day is a Masterchef invention challenge, cobbling a meal from donated odds and ends. It’s a boon for staff and patients – the emergency worker’s stock in trade is impenetrable acronyms and endless muesli bars.

MacDonald’s kids are fine and are proud of what she does. And there’s no resentment for family time lost.

“I’m loving being able to do something. That’s why I volunteer.”

– Nikki MacDonald, The Dominion Post, 20 November 2016

>> friendship and connections - being able to learn from people who are from all different walks of life and have unique stories has grown my knowledge substantially.

St John is my second family, and it has been a privilege to meet people from around the country and world that give you their full support.

– Eunice Ng, Kelston Youth Division

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On-road/off-road relationships: How ambulance crews negotiate volunteer and paid staff roles We’ve just had an update from Professor Kirstie McAllum, who is leading this piece of research. She is in the process of analysing all of the data collected in the interviews that were held earlier this year.

She has been struck as she listened to the recordings at some of the differences between country/town perspectives about “what counts” as important skills and knowledge, and some of the perspectives here especially those involving people who haven’t always worked/ volunteered in both contexts. For example, crews based in more rural areas are very proud of their ability to maintain a patient medically without backup for long periods of time, as well as their interpersonal abilities (creating a conversation that will last). Many participants from these areas seem to feel that their city-based colleagues perhaps don’t view them in the same way. City crews, in contrast, focused on their ability to offer a wide range of treatments and to back up others at short notice, working with a wide range of patients, outside of the members of their own communities We’ll receive more updates from Kirstie as she analyses the data – and hope to receive them before the end of the financial year! Watch this space!

Youth Leadership Hui In the first weekend of November, our St John district Youth managers from across New Zealand gathered for the Youth Leadership Hui. This was an opportunity to work side by side on the future of the Youth programme and input into the outcomes of the recent Youth Roadshow. There was some excellent kōrero (discussion) and reflections on what is working well for us, what we could be doing better and how we work as leaders to assure our young people we have the best youth programme in New Zealand. We also had an opportunity over dinner and a comedy show to thank our tireless volunteers – many who go above and beyond what is expected of them.

International Volunteers Day: Together We Can On 5 December, we celebrated International Volunteers Day (IV Day) and the power of volunteerism. IV Day was created by the United Nations to promote volunteering across the globe. The day is about commemorating the work volunteers do and the impact it has on a local, national and international level.

St John volunteers are part of one billion people volunteering around the world, all giving their time and skills to improve communities, save lives and bring people together.

This year’s theme is ‘Together We Can’ which emphasises the power of community and that by working together we can achieve great things.

We’re connected within St John and with the world in many ways, and have a special relationship with our neighbours in the Pacific. The continuing development of sustainable communities both locally and abroad relies heavily on the engagement, commitment and hard work of volunteers.

IV Day is a great opportunity for us to thank you, our St John volunteers, for the commitment and passion you bring to our organisation. We also thank you for helping the earthquake affected communities and for continuing be involved in their recovery.

“International Volunteers Day is a day to recognise all that volunteers do in our communities, and the response to the recent Kaikoura earthquake is an example that brings New Zealand’s considerable volunteer effort into plain sight” says Volunteering New Zealand Chief Executive Scott Miller.

As part of the celebration, the St John Volunteer of the Year was selected by Chief Executive Officer Peter Bradley from this year’s Volunteer of the Month awardees. The winner will receive a weekend getaway with a person of his or her choice. The prize includes flights, accommodation and travel allowance (More details on the next page!).

“We take this moment to be proud of the difference our volunteers make. Whatever your role and wherever you volunteer, we couldn’t do what we do without you” says Peter Bradley.

Volunteers November – December 2016

Congratulations Volunteer of the Month October Xiangyu Wen Onehunga Op Shop Volunteer Xiangyu Wen ‘Saua’ is our Onehunga Op Shop’s ‘book specialist’. He helped manage the shop’s huge inventory of donated books, making sure that each book is classified, has a price tag, and is then neatly arranged on the shelves. Now their book section looks like one in a commercial book store!

Colleagues describe Saua as an amazing and sincere volunteer and a joy to work with. He has not missed a day of work – at the shop six days a week and from opening to closing hours. A generous person, Saua is always ready to share his skills and knowledge with new volunteers.

November Tania Walker Volunteer Ambulance Officer Tania Walker was helpful in getting Owaka Station’s quality systems up to standard.

She saw the need to update the station’s systems and manuals and did not hesitate to volunteer for the task.

Although it was a big job, she did much of the work herself.

Owaka Station is very grateful for her work and dedication.

You really made it better, Tania!

Elizabeth Huddleston is our Volunteer of the Year Congratulations to Elizabeth (Liz Huddleston), our Volunteer of the Year. Liz was selected

by CEO Peter Bradley from our Volunteer of the Month winners as part of the International Volunteers Day celebration.

A Christchurch operations volunteer, Youth leader and area committee member, Liz also fundraises, helps to set up and pack down at events, even bakes for the paid staff on the road! At the heart of all Liz does is pride for St John and the work she does for her community. Liz is a truly exceptional volunteer.

“The Volunteer of the Year award is our way of saying thank you to our dedicated volunteers who make time at all hours of the day and night to care for others,” says Peter Bradley.

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“I am sure this will inspire others to nominate deserving volunteers in 2017.”

Receiving news of her award, Liz says she enjoys being a volunteer to be able to provide care for her community and all the areas she’s involved in allow her to do that.

“Thank you for your work in the Volunteer Support Group I appreciate the work that the team put in to support volunteers. I look forward to receiving the Side by Side Volunteer newsletter every few months,” she shares with Volunteers Advisor Phil Rankin.

Liz will receive a weekend getaway with a person of her choice. The prize includes flights, accommodation and a travel allowance.

Volunteering New Zealand conference On 31 October, our volunteer talent advisors, Sheaam Achmat, Michelle Payton and Anita Schneider, attended the annual volunteering conference organised by Volunteering New Zealand in Wellington.

This year’s conference, Pivot: Linking Vision to Action, focused on Volunteer Team Management and how to be an effective and productive leader in a changing world of volunteerism. Keynote speaker Andy Fryar, National Operations Manager for Better Impact in Australia and New Zealand and the founder of the Australasian Volunteer Program Management (OzVPM) spoke about volunteering numbers remaining static (in the United Kingdom) and dropping (in Australia). Volunteering has evolved over time and volunteer managers need to understand the impact they have on volunteers. Andy said the next evolution of volunteering management needs to be into a persuasive profession involving leadership, strategic planning, advocacy, networking and professional development. In addition to keynote speakers, there was also the opportunity to attend workshops around the use of technology/social media, best practice guidelines and to listen to PechaKucha (Japanese for chit-chat, a presentation that consists of 20 slides with each slide spoken to for 20 seconds) sessions from New Zealand Fire Service, Wellington Sport and the Volunteer Centre in Nelson.

The day concluded with a session about story-telling from Moya Sayer-Jones, the 'Chief Story Activist' and founder of Only-Hyman.com.au. Moya said stories were "data with a soul", and spoke of how stories can be used and shared within organisations to do even greater things. Moya’s message was “If your story is not getting the results you want, consider whether the story you’re pushing is real.”

Our talent advisors used a tag team approach to access concurrent workshops to ensure maximum exposure. It was a great opportunity to offer commentary, frame a challenge, reflect and engage with others in the volunteering space.

It was an exceptionally busy and interesting day that allowed our team to build and extend professional contacts, advance subject matter expertise as well as benchmark our practices and gain ideas for improvement.

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New faces in the Volunteering team Sheaam Achmat recently joined St John as volunteer talent advisor. Sheaam says volunteers are the life blood of St John and, as part of her role, she focuses on positively influencing the recruitment and sustainability of our volunteers. “I look forward to working with you and wish you and your families a safe and happy summer,” she says.

Roschelle Naidoo is our new human resources administrator who works closely with the Volunteer Talent Advisors and the HR Advisory Services Manager to support and ensure the efficiency of the volunteer sustainability unit. Roschelle has 15 years of experience in HR in South Africa and has been in New Zealand for six months now.

Hub talk More ReportALL modules to go live in January The Complaints and Reportable Events modules of our new ReportALL system are going live in January 2017. ReportALL is our single portal for reporting and managing all health and safety personal injuries, hazards and near misses, customer complaints, and reportable events.

Selecting ReportALL in the Quick Links menu on the Hub brings you to the ReportALL page. (Figure 1) To access the system, just click on the ReportALL logo.

(Figures 2 and 3) The Health and Safety module – for reporting all personal injuries, hazards and near misses – went live in November and cases are being added on a daily basis.

The Complaints module will capture details of when our customers/patients/donors express dissatisfaction with a St John product or service, or related matter including unsafe, unexpected incidents that may occur when utilising St John services.

The Reportable Events module is for recording any incident which results in harm to a patient or staff member.

You can find learning resources (user guides, videos and FAQs) for the Health and Safety module on the ReportALL page on the Hub. Learning resources for the new modules will be available on this page in January.

For all ReportALL queries, contact ReportALL@stjohn.co.nz Need ICT help?

Call the ICT Service Desk on 0800 428 8326 (0800 ICT TEAM). There will be someone there to help at any time of the day or night, seven days a week – 24/7.

Roschelle Naidoo, left, and Sheaam Achmat Sheaam (sheaam.achmat@stjohn.org.nz) and Roschelle (roschelle.naidoo@stjohn.org.nz) are keen to answer your volunteering queries.

Volunteers November – December 2016

End-of-year Forums For staff and volunteers December 2016 > To update you on key issues > Let us know what’s on your mind Peter Bradley, your General Manager and other Executive Management team members are holding regional staff Forums in Auckland, Hamilton and Christchurch, and would like to update you on key issues facing St John, as well as hear how you think things are going.

Northern Region Forum Monday 19 December, 10:30am–12:30pm Staff Cafeteria, Level 1, 10 Harrison Road National Headquarters Forum Monday 19 December, 1–3pm Totara and Nikau Rooms Central Region Forum Wednesday 21 December, 1–3pm Youth Training Room, Devon Road, Hamilton South Island Region Forum Tuesday 20 December, 10–12pm Staff Cafeteria, 100D Orchard Road

Bring your questions on the day, or send them to communications@stjohn.org.nz For those who can’t attend in person, we’re also scheduling end–of-year Hubchats. Details will follow.

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