The Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter is powered by a fully operational BK-117 Kawasaki helicopter with single-pilot instrument flight capability and operating around the clock, with a flight workforce consisting of pilots, crew, and in-house Critical Care Flight Paramedics (CCFP).
The Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter responds to callout to the roadside and off-road incidents, marine mayday calls, bush and mountain search and rescue missions, hospital to hospital transfers, and rural and remote medical and accident emergencies.

Team

Vanessa Richmond
Group Manager
Leads Philips Search & Rescue Trust and oversees the Fundraising, Marketing, Administration & Finance teams

Angela Cranfield
Finance Manager
Oversees and supports all things related to finance

Kirstin Tye
Project Manager
Leads all relevant PSRT business projects, whilst providing support to the wider team

Renee Bosley
Office Manager
Oversees and supports all things related to administration

Sharni Weir
Fundraising & Marketing Manager
Leads all areas of Fundraising & Marketing. Oversees the delivery of fundraising, marketing & communication strategies

Jenny Barris
Finance Processor
Processes donations that are made across all bases

Millie Armory
Administration Support
Supports the everyday fundraising & administration functions of Fundraising, Marketing & Administration

Ayshea Abela
Partnerships Coordinator
Supports our sponsors and corporate donor relationships

Catherine Cook
Community Fundraising Coordinator
Supports community fundraisers, provides fundraising support and looks after our bequest program.

Keryn Peddle
Donor Care Coordinator
First point of contact for our generous donors, providing support with whatever they need

Laura Hamilton
Database Coordinator
Undertakes the day-to-day coordination of our database and provides support to our donors

Bridget Ross
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Manages social media accounts, content creation and communicates with supporters via campaigns & media

Gillian Crompton
Marketing & Patient Coordinator
Looks after our community of patients and families, sharing stories with our family of supporters

Vicky Marland
Digital Marketing Specialist
Looks after our website, online presence, Google accounts, and implements our online strategy
Helicopters
Specifications & Equipment
Crew
Your Pilots
With proven experience in a diverse range of flying conditions, and logging thousands of flight hours, a rescue helicopter pilot is trusted with the safety of all on board.

Jodie - Pilot

Lance - Pilot

Mark - Pilot

Ross - Pilot
Your Crewmen
As the extra eyes and ears for the Pilot and the Critical Care Flight Paramedic during a mission, safety on board and around the aircraft is their priority including winch operation, navigation, obstacle identification and safe landing during flights.

Chappy - Crewman

Graeme - Crewman and Base Manager

Leigh - Crewman

Sam - Crewman
Your Critical Care Flight Paramedics
A critical care flight paramedic is trained to perform advanced medical intervention and life-saving procedures within a rescue helicopter environment.

Ben - Critical Care Flight Paramedic

James - Critical Care Flight Paramedic

Rene - Critical Care Flight Paramedic

Schalk - Critical Care Flight Paramedic
Your Operations Team

Muir - Medical Director

Barry - Pilot Training Manager

Charlie - Chief Pilot

Chris - Chief Operating Officer

Graeme - Clinical Operations Manager

Hugo - Clinical Development Manager
History of the Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter
The Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter was established in 1991, formerly known as the NZ Rail Helicopter. It has undertaken over 10,600 missions since its inception. The helicopter was based at the airport and was brought to life by generous volunteers. In 2003, the Philips Rescue Hangar was built by the NZ Army, officially giving the rescue crew their own base.
In 1996, the helicopter upgraded to a Squirrel AS350A machine and Tranz Rail took over as principal sponsor. It was rebranded as the Square Trust Rescue Helicopter in 2002. As the service grew, the need for a new helicopter became apparent and June 2015 marked the official launch of the new BK117, which continues to save lives in the Manawatu and Whanganui regions to this day. In September 2022, the Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter was renamed as the Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter.
Philips Search & Rescue Trust (PSRT) is the charity responsible for fundraising and promotion of the North Island’s largest pool of community rescue helicopters, including the Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter. Encompassing a fleet of rescue helicopters and fixed-wing planes, the service provides air health and rescue services free of charge to the public on a no-fault basis.
In 1996, the helicopter upgraded to a Squirrel AS350A machine and Tranz Rail took over as principal sponsor. It was rebranded as the Square Trust Rescue Helicopter in 2002. As the service grew, the need for a new helicopter became apparent and June 2015 marked the official launch of the new BK117, which continues to save lives in the Manawatu and Whanganui regions to this day. In September 2022, the Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter was renamed as the Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter.
Philips Search & Rescue Trust (PSRT) is the charity responsible for fundraising and promotion of the North Island’s largest pool of community rescue helicopters, including the Grassroots Trust Rescue Helicopter. Encompassing a fleet of rescue helicopters and fixed-wing planes, the service provides air health and rescue services free of charge to the public on a no-fault basis.