Jennifer Porter
Auckland resident and retired teacher Kay McCarthy has been a supporter of St John for many years. Not only is she a member of the St John Supporter Scheme, she also gives a monthly donation and has decided to leave a gift in her will (a bequest) to the organisation.
Kay has always been community minded.
She supported numerous charities throughout her working career and this has carried on since retiring.
Understanding that St John is not fully funded by the government was a big deciding factor for Kay to support the organisation, plus she has needed to call for an ambulance several times.
Reassuring Service
Knowing that with St John she is in safe hands during her time of need is reassuring for Kay. She also understands that it i Knowing that she was in safe hands during her time of need is reassuring for Kay and she understandsed then the world would bes imperative that St John is able to provide a world-class ambulance service for future generations, and making a bequest to St John enables Kay to help make that happen.
“It is something that I think everyone should do. If everyone treated everyone like they would like to be treated, then the world would be a better place,” she said.
‘Include a Charity Week,’ running from October 16 to 22, is an annual campaign in which charities come together to raise awareness of the importance of bequests in wills – encouraging New Zealanders to think about bequests and the difference they can make.
Make a difference
People who make a provision in their will to donate to St John can be certain that their final act of generosity will make a real difference for New Zealanders now and in the future. Big or small, their donation will help St John continue to provide services that look after our communities; and having recently been voted ‘New Zealand’s Most Trusted Charity’ (Readers Digest Survey 2017) for the fourth year running, people can feel confident that by supporting St John, they are adding real value to others’ lives.
St John Chief Executive Peter Bradley said that the organisation is proud and humbled to be the ‘Most Trusted Charity’ for four years in a row.
“Trust is incredibly important to St John and we never take it for granted. This award says that not only does the New Zealand public value how we care for them but they also trust St John to use public donations carefully.”
Education Programmes
St John is well known for its ambulance service, which treats and transports more than 435,000 people every year.
Less well known is the world-class education programme- ASB St John in Schools – the vibrant youth programme for 6-18-year olds, and the community programmes that reduce social isolation among the elderly and unwell.
St John Regional Fundraising & Marketing Manager Hannah Davies said that it is the people who support St John that make the life-saving and life-changing difference.
“Making a bequest really is a life legacy to be proud of and we are ever-so-thankful to the kind and forward-thinking individuals like Kay who choose to support St John in this way. It is a legacy that will continue to help the local community,” she said.
Donations welcome
Not only do people’s donations support St John ambulance officers at the frontline of emergency services, providing care across 97% of New Zealand; they allow St John to deliver important community programmes such as Caring Callers, Friends of the Emergency Department, Health Shuttles and St John Youth.
Mr Davies adds, “You can choose to leave your bequest freely, so that St John can apply the funds in the areas where they are most needed, or you can specify where and how you would like the bequest to be used. It is hugely important to us to honour our supporters’ specific wishes, and help the community in ways they wanted during their lifetime, when they perhaps did not have the financial means.”
Understanding that a bequest does not affect her current financial situation is also important to Kay.
“I am proud to support the charities that mean something to me, in a way that works for my situation,” she said.
By including a bequest in your will to St John, you have the option of leaving a specific amount, an item or a percentage of your estate. The process is straight-forward and you do not need to make a new will.
Jennifer Porter is Regional Communications Advisor (Northern Region) of St John.
For further information about making a bequest to St John, please visit
www.stjohn.org.nz/Supportus/Bequests/ or contact Suzana Noth on (09) 5791015 (Extension) 8472. Email: suzana.noth@stjohn.org.nz.
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Photo Caption:
Kay McCarthy with St John Regional Fundraising & Marketing Manager Hannah Davies
(Picture Supplied)
