Embracing Hearts Charitable Trust began with a conversation with Heart Kids Wellington in October 2018 about the urgent need to provide defibrillators (AEDs) to schools with heart kids as students or staff (someone born with a congenital heart defect or one that was acquired during childhood, such as Rheumatic Fever).
In March 2019 Trustees, heart mum Emma Lawler and lawyer Jim Meates registered Embracing Hearts Charitable Trust and retired accountant Pip Witkowski joined us as Treasurer. All three volunteer their time and personally cover any operational costs, ensuring that every dollar raised goes towards AEDs, so that our overhead costs remain at zero!!
Much loved Kiwi comedian Dai Henwood is our Patron (how cool is that!). See his video in our Photo Gallery!
We work very closely with the team at Wellington Free Ambulance and Heart Beat in the Wellington Region. They help coordinate with the schools, advise the best location for and install the 24/7 lock boxes while providing free community education and maintenance of their AEDs.
We also work closely with the team at Hato Hone St John New Zealand throughout the rest of the country. Their community connections, in particular with their many local Area Committees are nothing short of incredible. Many of these have donated AEDs and/or lockboxes to schools or preschools within their communities!
We also work with local representatives from Heart Kids NZ to ensure AEDs are given to schools with heart kids as students or staff.
We are so grateful to all of these community groups for their guidance, expertise and support.
All AEDs we donate are registered with 111 and are encouraged to be added to the AED Locations app and website.
Anyone can nominate a school or preschool with a heart kid to receive an AED from us. Just head to our Nominate Tab for details. Please note that we like to ask the school to help fundraise for the community lockbox for their AED.
It is our intention to donate an AED to every school or preschool in New Zealand with a heart kid and our waiting list is regularly updated. When funding allows, we also donate a 24/7 lock box for the entire community or encourage schools to work with their community to add one.
AS of 16 May 2025 we have donated 126 AEDs all over New Zealand, with 7 more in progress.
