ORIGIN STORY
My first festivals were in the early 2000s, relatively small 'fend for yourself' bushdoofs around Canterbury and Nelson. It didn't take long to see a need for some community safety nets to be established.
My day job is training emergency response, from teaching basic first aid to children, through to training Fire and Emergency crews. I have a background in frontline ambulance and have been facilitating care zones at outdoor events for 15 years.
Over the years, I have gathered a team of rare creatures, our festival-friendly medics. Our longest-serving volunteers have been on the team for more than a decade! We have grown from a single person to a team of more than 40, with a huge range of skills and experience.
Our team has been involved in festivals all over Te Waipounamu and has had the pleasure of watching teams like Know Your Stuff, Nga Kaitiaki, and PsyCareNZ develop into a collective harm reduction powerhouse that FestAid is proud to be a part of.
WHAT WE DO
We provide first aid and medical care at a pre-hospital level, tailored to the festival environment, 24hrs a day for the festival's duration.
We provide festival-specific training in first aid and emergency response, both in a classroom setting and on the paddock.
We work with other harm-reduction teams to share knowledge and skills.
WHO WE ARE
We are a team of volunteers who are passionate about doing our bit to keep our festival community safe and healthy.
Our volunteers include doctors, nurses, emergency services and armed forces personnel, outdoor medics and festival first-aiders. We pride ourselves on bringing professional skills in a non-judgemental festival-friendly environment.
Our logo, Nga Kaitiaki O Te Hakare, represents the collaboration of carers and guardians to keep our community safe.
WHAT WE need
We are always looking for volunteers! From first-aiders to medical professionals with festival experience or just a good attitude and adaptability!
Fill in an application form for our upcoming events here
Our big financial goals include financing an AED and a tent upgrade. Future fundraising events TBC!
ABOUT US
Contact
Send us an email with your questions or feedback!