What do we provide?

Transport for health appointments for those with difficulty travelling there otherwise.

We run a door-to-door service from Tokoroa, Putaruru, Arapuni and Tirau

We travel to medical appointments in Hamilton, Cambridge, Matamata, Rotorua, Taupo, Te Kuiti, Thames. In certain cases there is other assistance for those living in Putaruru and Tirau. We will assist you to find the correct place to attend and may be able to help you with a wheelchair if necessary.

We arrange times of pick-up and return by looking at the appointments of all those travelling in the vehicle. This may mean leaving home earlier than you might expect, or waiting a while in the hospital, as other people travelling with us will have different needs.

We need funds to run the service, so we appreciate a donation on the day of travel, but there is no fixed charge - a koha. If you qualify for National Travel Assistance (discuss with your driver) we are asked by the DHB to have this paid to SWCHT as the service that provides your travel. We have forms ready for this purpose

Will you join us?

Our work keeps expanding as more South Waikato appointments are scheduled out-of-town.

We have volunteers who drive and volunteers who support. We try to work on rosters which involve most volunteers once a fortnight. A few do much more.

Some of our drivers do local trips, especially helping Putaruru and Tirau clients to get to Tokoroa hospital or Putaruru doctors

If you drive to outside of South Waikato you need to accept that on your rostered day we cannot predict how long you will be away from home. It may be four hours, it may be eight - because we serve the patients and appointments maybe long or short. There may be six or seven travelling with you, or you may be in a car driving one. As volunteers we accept the load that turns up on the day.