One of the biggest events in the St John calendar was held at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul on the 15th June.
The Order of St John honours system confers membership on those who give back to St John and the community, fulfilling the goals and ideals of the Order.
St John is the only organisation in New Zealand outside of Government with its own Royal honours system, and admission and promotion in the Order is based solely on exceptional service.
The Wellington ceremony recognised both paid and volunteer St John people, with a number of those undertaking volunteer work in addition to their paid roles.
St John Head of Order Matters, Gary Salmon, says this is a very special occasion for St John where we are able to recognise the great work and commitment of members who go beyond the expectations of their role.
“The members being promoted and admitted to the Order in Wellington have given a great deal to their communities on behalf of St John, and it is a very special privilege to be able to recognise their work with these awards.”
St John Head of Clinical Audit and Research, Professor Bridget Dicker, is one of four Members of St John being promoted to Officer.
Prof. Dicker has been instrumental in recruiting and training over 200 operation auditors and has played a key role in developing the “GoodSAM” App, allowing people out in the community to possibly save the life of someone in cardiac arrest.
She has developed the St John Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Registry for the last six years, and has presented research into the need for public access to defibrillators, identifying inequity in access among New Zealanders.
“I feel humbled to have received this recognition and it is an honour to have my work acknowledged” says Prof. Dicker.
The Governor General and Prior of St John in New Zealand, Dame Patsy Reddy attended the ceremony, investing members with the insignia of their grade.
At the Wellington Investiture, three officers were promoted to Commander, five to Officer and 24 admitted as Members to the Order.