Plunket needs people

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 282, 11 April 1989, Page 2

Plunket needs people

The Ohakune Plunket is worried at the number of mothers who won't support the service and serve on the committee.

According to officials, the facts speak for themselves. While there are a large number of mothers on Ohakune Plunket's auxillary committee, there are barely enough members to cover the essential positions on the main committee. Ten is the ideal number of committee members but currently it numbers just eight, while there are 18 names on the auxillary members' list. Ohakune Plunket committee member Sue Perrett says the work put in by members involves very few hours of their free time each week. Ohakune Plun-

ket's annuai fund-rais-ing calendar features a quiz night, the annuai appeal in October, fun run, A & P Show stall, Winstone's Christmas barbeque and the occasional coffee dessert evening. Plunket sausage sizzles are also a regular feature during the ski season. From these activities, enough money must be raised to cover the upkeep of the Plunket rooms, travelling costs for Plunket and Karitane Nurses and three hours' wages per week of Karitane Nurse Lesley Proude. Both Raetihi and Ohakune Plunket committees must raise

around $5000 each per year to cover costs. A portion of the total is received through rental of Plunket rooms. Plunket faces the additional expense of purchasing a new car for the nurse approximately every four years. Mrs Perrett says a common misconception amongst mothers is that Plunket is a service only offered during a child's first years and plays no further role once a toddler begins Kindergarten. Consequently the committee suffers, with members serving between 1-2 years on average, then moving onto Kind-er-garten committees. In fact, visits to the Plunket nurse continue once yearly until a child begins school.