Businesses support Women’s Health fundraiser

16 November 2008

Businesses flock to support novel fundraiser for Women’s Health Charity

WONS Nursing Education and Health Promotion Services has been overwhelmed by the support businesses have given to their fundraising charity online auction.

TradeMe (www.trademe.co.nz) is hosting the one-week auction, which begins on 17 November and ends 23 November 2008.

Donations to the auction include artwork, jet boat tours, a colour TV monitor, sky diving, a night at a luxury Napier and Rotorua lodge and a flight with an aero club.

CEO Ruth Davy says while WONS receives some funding from the Ministry of Health and Auckland District Health Board, it is not enough to meet the demands of the community.

“Each year WONS performs cervical smear tests for about 2,000 women, educates about 4,500 women on a range of health issues, delivers the ‘sisters in health’ training sessions to help local women become health advocates and conducts women’s health ‘pamper days’ for low income women.

“We need to have this auction to stay in business so we can keep meeting the needs of thousands of women in the Auckland area.”

Ms Davy thinks WONS’ role in preventing cancer is one of the reasons the auction has received so much support.

“Everyone knows someone who had been touched by breast or cervical cancer and they want to help reduce the number of women developing these diseases.

For further details go to www.wons.org.nz
About WONS

WONS: Nursing, Education and Health Promotion Services is committed to working with and assisting the community, other health providers and government to keep women and their families well. Its four core service areas are:

- Health professional training and education
- Provision of clinical services
- Health promotion services in the community
- Provision of consultancy, advisory and research services.

WONS promotes cervical and breast screening awareness through sporting events and trains over 1000 health professionals across a range of health care issues.

The service has designed the manual Wahine Hauora Kete, for people working in women’s health, out in the community or on work sites.

It also employs Maori, Pacific and Asian staff to offer culturally appropriate health promotion and services in their community.

ENDS