St John Oamaru Area

07/06/2026

For more than 130 years, Hato Hone St John has stood beside the people of Oamaru. Our current station, built in 1982, served a much smaller community and very different healthcare demands.
Today, our teams provide advanced frontline care, community health programmes, youth development, and vital transport services.
Now, we are taking the next step in that history by building a modern, purpose-built station that reflects the needs of our growing region.
Support the next chapter and make a donation today:
https://lighttheway.stjohn.org.nz/o/oamaru

06/06/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who has visited us and donated over the past two days during our Hato Hone St John Annual Appeal Street Collection. Your generosity and support mean so much to our crews and our community.

There's still time to get involved, we'll be out until 6pm today, so come and see us at:
South Hill New World
Waitaki New World
Woolworths Oamaru
Mitre 10 Mega

Stop by for a chat and help support our Annual Appeal for the new Oamaru Ambulance Station.
Every dollar raised locally and through our online fundraising page goes directly towards this vital project, which will support our crews, our community, and the wider North Otago region for generations to come.

If you haven't had a chance to donate yet, there's still time. Visit us before 6pm today or learn more and support the project online: https://lighttheway.stjohn.org.nz/o/oamaru
Thank you for helping us build a stronger future for emergency care in North Otago. 💛🚑

04/06/2026

The St John Oamaru Mini Ambulance Scavenger Hunt is underway.
From 1 June to 25 June, families are invited to explore local businesses and take part in a fun, community activity that supports a vital cause. Find all 20 mini ambulances hidden in participating stores, record the numbers, and go in the draw to win a Premium Stray BMX bike kindly donated by Martyns Cycles and on display in their window!
All participating businesses have a donation box with all proceeds go directly towards building the new Oamaru Ambulance Station.
Drop into the St John Oamaru Store to collect your form, get involved, and support the future of emergency care in our region.
Donations can be made in store or online.
Donate here: https://lighttheway.stjohn.org.nz/o/oamaru

04/06/2026

Today and tomorrow we will be out in the community for our Hato Hone St John Annual Street Collection. Come and see us at:
• South Hill New World
• Waitaki New World
• Woolworths Oamaru
• Mitre 10 Mega
Stop by for a chat and make a donation. Every dollar brings us closer to building a station that supports our crews and our wider community.

Support our Annual Appeal for the new Oamaru Ambulance Station, a vital project that will support our crews, our community, and the wider North Otago region for generations to come. All funds raised locally and through our online fundraising page will go directly toward building the new station. Learn more and support the project: https://lighttheway.stjohn.org.nz/o/oamaru

Our current station is no longer fit for purpose. What was once built for a crew of two now supports around 14 staff, multiple ambulances, and a growing demand across Oamaru, Palmerston, the Waitaki Valley, Kurow and Twizel. Crews are often travelling long distances, including regular trips to Dunedin Hospital, while still needing to respond locally.

They continue to work from a facility that has not kept pace, with limited space, outdated amenities, and operational challenges that make responding quickly and safely more difficult.

Thanks to strong community support, the new station build is now underway and expected to be completed in early 2027. However, significant funding is still required to bring this vital project to life.

This June we are raising money to help rebuild and repair vital ambulance stations across Aotearoa.

01/06/2026

This June - Our Annual Appeal
This June, support our Annual Appeal for the new Oamaru Ambulance Station, a vital project that will support our crews, our community, and the wider North Otago region for generations to come. All funds raised locally and through our online fundraising page will go directly toward building the new station. Learn more and support the project: https://lighttheway.stjohn.org.nz/o/oamaru
Why this matters
Our current station is no longer fit for purpose. What was once built for a crew of two now supports around 14 staff, multiple ambulances, and a growing demand across Oamaru, Palmerston, the Waitaki Valley, Kurow and Twizel. Crews are often travelling long distances, including regular trips to Dunedin Hospital, while still needing to respond locally.
They continue to work from a facility that has not kept pace, with limited space, outdated amenities, and operational challenges that make responding quickly and safely more difficult.

Good progress is being made
Thanks to strong community support, the new station build is now underway and expected to be completed in early 2027. However, significant funding is still required to bring this vital project to life.

Support us this week
We will be out in the community for our Hato Hone St John Annual Street Collection this Friday 5th and Saturday 6th June.
Come and see us at:
• South Hill New World
• Waitaki New World
• Woolworths Oamaru
• Mitre 10 Mega
Stop by for a chat and make a donation. Every dollar brings us closer to building a station that supports our crews and our wider community.

Get involved
Our Scavenger Hunt is currently underway. Entry forms are available from the St John Oamaru Store, with a prize of a brand new Premium Stray BMX Bike, generously donated by Martyns Cycles.

Join us for our community event:
Light Up and Light the Way, 25 June, From 3pm, Harbour Street

Donate today: https://lighttheway.stjohn.org.nz/o/oamaru
Together, we can build a station that supports those who are always there for us.
Let’s Light the Way, Oamaru.

05/05/2026

🎗️This week is Road Safety Week🎗️

In Waitaki, over the past 12 months, 26 people have been killed or seriously injured in vehicle crashes. Each of these is much more than a number — they are someone’s loved family member, friend, or neighbour. Our thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted.💛

There are many people in our community working to make our roads safer. From our primary school children on patrol, to adults helping others cross the road safely, our local educators, and our emergency services — Southern District Police, Otago - Fire and Emergency, St John Oamaru Area and rescue helicopter crews — we sincerely thank you for what you do.🎗️

Road Safety Week is coordinated by the charity Brake New Zealand and this year’s theme is “Be a Road Safety Hero.” It’s a reminder that we all have a part to play. Simple choices — wearing high-vis when walking, putting phones away before driving, or taking from driving when tired — can make a real difference and may save a life.

Let’s all do our part to look out for one another on our roads. 💛

On Friday night, 8 May, Oamaru Opera House will be lit up in yellow to show Waitaki District’s commitment to road safety.🎗️

Youthtown Oamaru
Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Trust
Omarama Volunteer Fire Brigade
Oamaru Volunteer Fire Brigade
Waitaki Volunteer Fire Brigade
Age Concern Otago-Waitaki District
Waitaki District Council
Kaitiaki o Ara/SADD
Ryda Road Safety
Sport Waitaki
AA New Zealand - North Otago
Waitaki District Council
Pembroke School (Oamaru)

05/05/2026

💚 May Raffle 💚
Each month until the end of the year, we’ll be running a raffle with all funds going towards our new station build!
Tickets are $2.00 each and available at the St John Oamaru Store
The May draw will take place on 1 June.
This month’s prizes are three cosy winter packs, each including a knitted blanket, two mugs, two wheat bags, herbal tea, and a $50 Prezzy Card.
Get your ticket and support a good cause! 💛

01/04/2026

💚 April Raffle 💚

Each month until the end of the year, we’ll be running a raffle with all funds going towards our new station build!
Tickets are $2.00 each and available at the St John Oamaru Store
The April draw will take place on 30 April.
This month’s prizes are a great selection of traditional board games and family favourites, including chess, rummy-o, bingo, checkers, cards, and dominoes!

Get your ticket and support a good cause! 💛

19/03/2026

In its first five months, our North Otago Waka Ora Health Shuttle has completed an incredible 126 return trips (plus 12 one-way trips) between Oamaru and Dunedin, a much needed service made possible by our dedicated team of 12 volunteer drivers. We’re proud to see this service going from strength to strength, helping people in our community access vital medical and wellbeing appointments.

We run the Shuttle as a koha-based service, supporting people to travel to Dunedin for appointments and return home safely. Our friendly, trained volunteer drivers are here to help, whether you’re heading to the GP, dentist, or a specialist, we’ve got you covered.

The shuttle operates Monday to Friday, arriving in Dunedin at 10:30 AM and departing again at approximately 2:30 PM.

📞 To book, call 0800 103 046 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM). You can leave a message outside these hours, or email [email protected].

💛 Thank you to our incredible volunteers and supporters who make this service possible.

17/03/2026

💛 Raffle Winners Announcement! 💛
Thank you to everyone who supported our raffle, your contributions are helping make our new station build a reality! Every ticket sold and every donation brings us one step closer to completing this important project for our community and strengthening Hato Hone St John’s ability to care for the people of North Otago for many years to come.
Here are our lucky winners:
Grocery Hamper – M Ovens
Beauty Hamper – A Hayes
Capybara – M Kennedy
Portable Gas Burner – C Janardan
Paint By Numbers Kit – L Baillie
Hato Hone St John First Aid Kit – J & M Searle

Thank you again for your incredible support - we couldn’t do this without you! ❤️