An afternoon tea last Tuesday formalised the handover between the two organisations and the 12 volunteers officially became a part of Gore Health.
It follows the finalisation of St John’s Friends of the Hospital volunteer programme — part of the organisation’s shift in focus from emergency department work to illness prevention.
The programme has run at Gore Health since 2014 and contributed an estimated 1500 hours of volunteer service per year.
St John Southland Lakes district operations manager Dame Pauline Buchanan attended the afternoon tea.
Dame Pauline described the changeover as a natural transition rather than a loss. She praised the volunteers for their service and presented each with a thank-you card to acknowledge their work.
Diane White was given a pounamu necklace to acknowledge her role as team leader. She said it was a humbling experience and a significant undertaking for volunteers to provide comfort and support to patients and nursing staff in the emergency department.
Other volunteers were noted for their years of service and were encouraged to continue to wearing their St John badges with pride.
Gore Health chief executive Karl Metzler said the decision to retain the group following St John’s withdrawal was an “absolute no-brainer”.
The relationship between Gore Health and St John was something the organisation would always actively protect, Mr Metzler said.
St John’s involvement officially ends on June 30.
