Hato Hone St John has exceeded its target to empower 10,000 kiwis with life-saving skills in its first ever 'Shocktober”.

Leveraging off Restart a Heart Day held on Sunday, October 16, Hato Hone St John focused the whole month of October on CPR and AED training through its 3 Steps for Life programme.

Cardiac arrest remains one of the leading causes of death in Aotearoa New Zealand with more than 2000 people a year treated.

Of those, only 25 per cent survive hospital arrival and 11 per cent leave hospital alive.

Sarah Manley, Hato Hone St John Deputy Chief Executive Community Health and Education, says she is delighted to announce that around 13,000 people completed the 3 Steps for Life training during Shocktober, marking it as an absolute success since it launched at the beginning of the month.

'A huge congratulations to everyone involved. This is easily one of the most successful, visible and engaging campaigns we have run in Hato Hone St John for some time.

'To have reached 13,000 people, right across the country – and with some awesome partnership work along the way – has been incredible. So many of our people got involved internally too and that was brilliant.

'Shocktober has also led to some other amazing outcomes including attracting new volunteers, increasing awareness and engagement – and most of all, equipping people with the skills to make a life changing difference. I have no doubt lives will be saved from this campaign.”

Jacci Tatnell, Hato Hone Head of Community Education, agrees and says none of it would have been achieved without the amazing support from across the motu, including from the Warriors Foundation and Hato Hone St John partners; ASB, Spark and Z Energy. 

'While it's been a collaborative effort to promote and drive the campaign, the delivery of all this mahi is because of our volunteer community educators.

'A whopping number of sessions have been delivered by volunteers and without our volunteer workforce, this campaign would not be possible. So, from Hato Hone to our volunteers – a big thank you to all of you for your amazing work.”

Shocktober key achievements

• Hato Hone St John trained around 13,000 people in the 3 Steps for Life programme
• 140 3 Steps for Life Sessions taught
• We trained our partners; ASB (21 sessions, 507 people), Z Energy (6 sessions, 226 people) & Spark NZ (5 sessions, 195 people)
• We trained New Zealand Warriors Foundation
• 90 percent of sessions were delivered by Volunteer Community Educators – 3 Steps for Life
• We delivered public training events for the first time in two years in Auckland, Christchurch, Napier, Havelock North and Cambridge
• We delivered the programme to community groups and schools from Invercargill to Raglan and many places in between, including to the Greater Wellington Refugee and Migrant Support Services.