Latest news with #StJohnWA
West Australian
27-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Coaching legend Ric Charlesworth finds talk on culture and team building resonates with St John WA volunteers
Ric Charlesworth's talk on culture and team building in Albany last week resonated with St John WA volunteers as the coaching legend passed on his wisdom to mark National Volunteer Week. Charlesworth, a former opening batsman for WA and four-time hockey Olympian, was the keynote speaker at an event for St John WA volunteers at Retravision Stadium in Albany on May 23. Volunteers from around the Great Southern gathered under the banner of 'connecting communities' to take part in a program of activities which included State officials, specialist paramedics and members of the community who had been impacted by St John WA's services. Charlesworth may be best known for coaching the Australian national hockey teams to huge success, but he was also able to draw on his experiences as a doctor and Federal politician when he addressed the volunteers. His words certainly struck a chord with Denmark volunteer Nerida Harley who said teamwork in her role was vital. 'We all have different characters and different personalities so the ability to work in a team with other people is vital and is exactly what we do,' she said. 'All the things he spoke about applied to us as volunteers.' Charlesworth said the overall culture of the organisation was key and there was no room to cut corners. 'If you can create an environment where there are no shortcuts you can have an approach to your training and preparation where you can really push yourselves,' he said. Toni Melia, the district operations manager for the Great Southern, said the event had had positive feedback. 'All the contributors were really well received and Ric was excellent,' she said. 'The key takeaway for the volunteers was a chance to reconnect with each other. 'We are all spread so far and wide that we don't often get the chance to be together as a whole team so it was a real opportunity for everyone to catch up with old friends and to make new ones.'
ABC News
23-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
'Burnt-out' country volunteers fundraising for new ambulance
The West Australian government is being called upon to increase support for country ambulance centres amid fears volunteers are burnt out after years of fundraising for vehicle and substation upgrades. Volunteers in the South West town of Pemberton are working to raise $300,000 to replace one of their ambulances. Over the years such fundraisers have become commonplace to help buy expensive equipment and for major work at substations. St John WA Kondinin-Hyden administration officer Lisa Billingham has spent significant time raising funds for new centres in both towns since 2013. A new sub-centre opened in Kondinin last year. "We burnt ourselves out — our volunteers already volunteer so many hours. "We just did not have it in us to [keep] going to the same degree we did with the Kondinin build. "However our community has been awesome coming forth with donations." Ms Billingham said there was enough money coming in to fund daily operations but securing funds for bigger projects was challenging. She said volunteers should not have to rely on the generosity of the community. "It's the same pockets that are getting hit over and over again," Ms Billingham said. "Most small country towns are getting smaller — people's pockets are only so deep. "I would like to see something like your Royalties for Regions come back into play." Newly elected Nationals member for Warren-Blackwood Bevan Eatts said he was "gobsmacked" when he found out volunteers in Pemberton were required to fund a replacement ambulance themselves. "They are [volunteering] their time to drive the ambulance and help people that are getting into accidents, but then they're also expected to volunteer their time to raise money to buy the ambulance," he said. Mr Eatts said he also wanted to revive Royalties to Regions to help fund regional health services. The government's latest mid-year budget review found WA recorded an operating surplus of $3.1 billion, which Treasurer Rita Saffioti described as the "envy of the nation". Under the St John WA volunteer model, substations keep the money collected from call-outs and transfers to pay for operating costs. Former Nannup volunteer Geoff Wishard said the system worked for the substation when he was there 15 years ago. "Uniforms, drugs, medical supplies, ambulances, filing cabinets, tea and coffee … everything is paid for by the sub-centre," he said. "We were fortunate in that we did have enough money. "We were never short of jobs [and], even though we had to pay for everything, we still managed to accrue money for things like ambulance upgrades. Mr Wishard did not think government intervention was necessarily the answer. "Hopefully everyone can work together within the model that we've got … I think that's what the sub-centres are doing now — they're saying, 'We can support each other.' "If there are communities that are saying, 'This is crazy — we've got to go out and have 400 sausage sizzles to buy a new ambulance,' then the system is breaking down somewhere." St John WA is contracted by the state government to provide ambulance services through a mix of paid and volunteer staff. A spokeswoman for the service said sub-centres were always supported if they did not have enough revenue. "St John WA provides all 137 volunteer sub-centres across WA with suitable ex-metro ambulances as part of a statewide asset management program," she said. "When a volunteer sub-centre wishes to purchase a brand new ambulance, such as a bespoke 4WD vehicle, St John WA supports the sub-centre with advocacy, grant writing and assisting with community fundraising efforts. "Any volunteer location which does not have sufficient revenue to cover the service is supported by St John WA to ensure they have the equipment they need to deliver the service including consumables, building upkeep and fleet maintenance." The WA government is yet to comment on whether it would increase funding for St John WA, but says it is working to place more than 40 extra paid paramedics in country areas.
