Dedication to St John rewarded

 

Another group of Mangawhai’s extraordinary volunteers were celebrated recently for their time and service in helping to fund a local, essential life-saving facility.

More than 50 St John volunteers gathered at Mangawhai’s newly refurbished Dune restaurant on December 4 for a banquet lunch while listening to the harmonious sounds of Tama Lunden, original lead singer for New Zealand’s reggae group Herbs.

One of the three shop managers, Frances Kennelly, says the lunch was ‘a big thank you’ from St John in recognition of the volunteers’ commitment to running the St John opportunity shop on Moir Street, a major contributor to Mangawhai’s ambulance service.

“The volunteers are so passionate and dedicated,” Kennelly says. “Pretty much 99 per cent of the volunteers who started at the back in 2010, are still volunteering their time today.”

Since opening in 2010 the shop has flourished, raising enough money to not only build the Molesworth Drive St John station but also provide ongoing funding for the service’s day-to-day operations.

The success of the store can also be measured by its popularity with locals and travellers alike and, with its large variety of goods for sale and friendly ambience, perhaps could almost be considered as a Mangawhai tourist destination.

“We’ve always had wonderful support and donations from the community and also from holiday makers who bring us all sorts of items,” Kennelly says. “It’s more like a drop-in centre really, a place to have a chat, a laugh or a shoulder to cry on. It’s a very caring and sharing place.”

BREATHER: St John op-shop volunteers linger after lunch, enjoying the reward of a year’s work.