Eric Cryer and Gay Adams, who have both supported St John Ambulance for 50 years, received a presentation from National's Taranaki-King Country MP, Barbara Kuriger (right), last month. PHOTO SUPPLIED
THE Tainui Rugby Clubrooms were filled to near capacity when Mōkau celebrated the contribution made to the community from volunteers in the district last month.
Taranaki-based Labour MP Angela Roberts warmed the crowd up with a quiz ahead of presentations for community service, made by National’s Taranaki-King Country MP Barbara Kuriger and Waitomo Mayor John Robertson.
Heading the list of volunteers who had positively impacted the community were local residents Eric Cryer and Gay Adams, each of whom had supported St John Ambulance for 50 years.
Eric, 83, is the chairman of Mōkau St John, while Gay, 77, is its secretary.
Eric and Gay were “in on the ground floor” when the then Tainui Lions Club purchased an ambulance from Katikati and parked it at the Ministry of Works depot in the late 1970s.
After two years, the Lions Club was advised that its service had no official standing and both vehicle and voluntary crew would have to come under the administration of St John Ambulance, which locals immediately agreed to.
Eric recalled that the volunteers received most of their annual training at Te Kūiti Hospital, where medical staff provided an annual certification, though some of the training was provided from a doctor in Waitara.
Remarkably, Eric did not lose one patient in his 12 years driving the ambulance, a time which included numerous car crashes in the Awakino Gorge and on Mt Messenger, plus the downing of a topdressing plane.
“Somehow, we always seemed to be able to get our patients through to hospital to receive some help.
“The only patient we ‘lost’ was a bloke who let himself out the back of the ambulance after we’d picked him up following a bit of a brawl somewhere. For whatever reason, he suddenly decided he didn’t want to go to hospital and just disappeared. It didn’t last long though – with the cold weather and the rain at nighttime, he returned after about five minutes.”
Eric has been on the committee throughout his years with St John.
One remarkable achievement of the organisation was working in with Tainui Lions Club to raise funds for Mōkau’s St John Ambulance Station, which opened about 12 years ago. This served as a base for the local district nurse and as a multi-use venue for community activities.
The old headquarters of the Mōkau ambulance service was a one-room post office without water or toilet facilities.
Eric and Gay were part of the push to raise $567,000 toward the project. This attracted local and corporate sponsors and included $140,000 from the NZ Lotteries Commission. At one point, members of the brigade and their supporters good naturedly set up a roadblock on State Highway 3, asking motorists for donations as they drove across the Mōkau Bridge.
How did it feel to have put 50 years into St John?
“It was just something you did. There was a need, you were there and so you just did it. A lot of the time people wouldn’t come to you; you’d have an AGM, and nobody would turn up, so you just kept going. We have tried to get new members. Sometimes they build up but then they retire off and we are all getting on the top side of age now.
“It’s like all things; there are just no volunteers around, but people just sort of rely on you and so you just keep going.”
Gay has served on numerous committees over the past 52 years, most often either serving as secretary or treasurer.
She is currently secretary of Mōkau St John and the Tongaparutu Cemetary Committee.
She chairs the health trust that manages the Waitara Doctors’ Medical Centre and is secretary of the Taranaki-King Country Electorate of the National Party.
“We were really surprised as we had no idea this was happening. It was wonderful to feel appreciated by our community,” Gay said.
This last position Gay moved into when she turned 65, taking over from an incumbent who wanted to retire as they had just turned 65 and had other health issues.
“Volunteering is something I enjoy doing. I worked in a bank and travelled overseas before marrying a farmer. At that point I decided volunteering was a good way to get out, to be part of the community and help where I can.”
Does Gay have much time for watching Netflix of an evening?
“Yes, because I have got myself into a system,” she said.
“True, some nights I have to spend my time on the telephone.
“There is not the opportunity to talk to people face-to-face as much as I’ve liked but zoom meetings are a real boon. They are better than emails; a lot of people are getting sick of emails these days.”
Gay noted that in every organisation she was involved in it was getting tougher to find younger people to become volunteers.
“But because we are all living longer, we could all do 10 years of volunteering after we’re 65 in my view. You’ve got to keep yourself doing stuff – don’t just say, ‘oh, I’m 65’, and curl up in a chair.”
