Eastland Helicopter Rescue Trust

Eastland Helicopter Rescue Trust is a charity in Gisborne, New Zealand. It supports the Trust Tairaawhiti Rescue Helicopter, an on-call rescue and air ambulance helicopter service for the East Coast of the North Island.

What the service does

The helicopter flies emergency missions and takes patients from the region to larger hospitals. The trust says a key goal is fair access to medical services found in bigger centres for people in its region. It says the service flies around 350 missions each year.

Area and base

The rescue base is at Gisborne Airport. The service covers the East Coast from Mahanga Beach in the south to Maungapohatu in the west and Te Kaha in the north. The trust describes this as one of the most isolated and thinly populated parts of New Zealand.

How it is funded

The trust says it must raise 700,000 dollars each year as its share of the cost of keeping the helicopter and its crew operating. It relies on donors, sponsors and events.

Facts

• Type: regional charitable trust supporting a helicopter air ambulance and rescue service
• Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• Base: Gisborne Airport
• Aircraft: helicopter
• The trust is listed as a regional partner on the Search and Rescue Services Ltd website

Who it is for

The service is for people on the East Coast of the North Island who need urgent help or a flight to a bigger hospital. The trust also collects patient stories and shares them in its newsletter and at events, if patients agree.