In mid-July, Hato Hone St John’s governance group a new direction for the Community Health arm of the organisation, as part of a new 10-year strategy designed to significantly enhance the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders.
This shift will involve a focus on three areas: expanding health education, enabling proactive health monitoring, and improving access to health services across New Zealand, which focuses on helping our communities nurture healthier futures.
As part of the transformation, Hato Hone St John conducted a comprehensive review of existing programmes and services to ensure they are aligned with the new direction we are taking. Through very careful consideration, we have made the difficult to conclude the Therapy Pets, Hospital Volunteers, and Community Carers programmes at the end of June 2026.
We know this is disappointing news for our volunteers, clients, and staff who are impacted. We want to thank and acknowledge the significant contribution of every individual who has put their time, compassion, and energy into these programmes. Our volunteers have offered real comfort and connection and have made a meaningful difference to many lives. We will be reaching out directly to the staff and volunteers who are impacted to offer support and guidance as we work through this change together.
This change is not about cost saving but ensuring the work we do has the greatest impact and is aligned with our strategic goal of helping people to achieve better health and wellbeing .
Hato Hone St John is currently exploring opportunities to transition the Therapy Pets, Hospital Volunteers, and Community Carers programmes to our service partners, including hospitals and rest homes. We are offering support to our volunteers, and where a transition is not possible, we will work with them to identify other potential volunteering opportunities with Hato Hone St John.
Hato Hone St John continues to offer a range of community programmes across the motu. To find out more about these click here
Please attribute to Pete Loveridge, Hato Hone St John Deputy Chief Executive – Community Health
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Hato Hone St John media team