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A FRESH START: HAITI

The award-winning magazine for British Red Cross volunteers and staff

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Ad campaign results Willing to save a life TB in Kazakhstan

Tell us your story If you have a story you would like us to consider call Miriam Jones on 020 7877 7032 or contact editor@redcross.org.uk. The deadline for our June issue is 9 April 2013.

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In November, I visited Haiti to see the work of the Red Cross in areas devastated by the 2010 earthquake. Rebuilding a city takes time, and the Red Cross’ share of that task is substantial – and difficult.

I went to Delmas 19, a densely populated slum near the centre of Port-au-Prince, where many homes had collapsed or were damaged.

The British Red Cross is regenerating this area as part of its £23 million earthquake response programme and is working closely with the local

community, to make sure that we are meeting their needs. Find out how on pages 13-15.

We are now more than half way through our ‘Saving Lives, Changing Lives’ strategy. Thanks to your commitment and hard work, whether you’re a volunteer or member of staff, we are achieving our aims.

Looking forward to our plans for 2013 (see page 5), we must continue to be ambitious to help the most vulnerable, whether in countries like Haiti or here in the UK.

Red Cross Life magazine has a new look and some brand new columns and features, based on ideas from readers. I hope you enjoy it.

Red Cross Life Issue No.92 February 2013

0845 054 7311 redroom.redcross.org.uk/life

Editorial team Editor Miriam Jones Deputy editor Mark Cox Art editor Bryan Meredith Writers Craig Burnett, Ellie Matthews, Koel Mukherjee, Sarah Oughton Designers Sarah Trentham, Robin Stannard Photography Matthew Percival

Abbreviations used: the Movement = International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross the Federation = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent SocietiesRed Cross Life is published by the communications coordination department of the British Red Cross, UK Office, 44 Moorfields, London, EC2Y 9AL. The British Red Cross Society, incorporated by Royal Charter 1908, is a charity registered in England and Wales (220949) and Scotland (SC037738).

None of the information contained herein may be copied, reproduced or used for external purposes without specific written authorisation from the British Red Cross. The opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the British Red Cross.

Red Cross Life is printed on chlorine free, 50 per cent recycled paper.

Photos on page 2 (clockw

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Matthew

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Matthew

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In Birmingham, emergency teams – working with West Midlands Ambulance Service – were kept busy treating patients from a temporary base in the city centre over the festive holiday period. Ade Powney, emergency planning officer, said: “On New Year’s Eve alone, we responded directly to more than 25 emergency calls – it was our busiest night ever.”

In Wolverhampton, first aiders stationed in the city centre potentially saved a life. Called to help someone lying unconscious – and presumed drunk – in a street, they instead found a dazed man complaining of crushing chest pains.

The volunteers quickly called in paramedics,

who suspected a heart problem, then rushed both medics and casualty to hospital for immediate treatment. As volunteer Mark Walker pointed out: “If we hadn’t been there, that man might simply have been put into a taxi and taken home, with potentially dire consequences.”

In Chesterfield, too, volunteer teams were kept on their toes by raucous revellers – but were also accompanied by a paramedic from East Midlands Ambulance Service.

In London, the Red Cross helped out at the alcohol recovery centre at St Thomas’ Hospital over eight weeks. Working alongside the hospital’s medical team, at least five volunteers worked through each weekend night looking

after people recovering from excessive alcohol intake.

A new initiative in Watford saw volunteers operating a first aid post in the bustling town centre. Besides providing immediate medical help at their base, the first aiders – accompanied by constables from Hertfordshire Police – also responded to emergencies across the town centre on foot.

In Glasgow, the now established first aid bus – run in partnership with Strathclyde Police – was parked in the city centre for all the big party nights, and volunteer teams treated 87 casualties.

London SwanseaWatford Wolverhampton

BirminghamBrightonChesterfieldGlasgow

Festive first aid stations

Emergency response teams were on hand to provide first aid support in various town centres across the UK during Christmas and New Year

Volunteers out in force in UK over festive season

News

Helpline 0800 389 7820

ISSUE 92 FEBRUARY 2013

Haiti: multi-coloured path to the future

Snapshot: what happens at a rest centre?

First aid: are you willing to act?

inside

First wordGuest editorial: Nick Young, chief executive

If there’s an incident in your area dial 0115 965 8558

Photos: ©

Chris S

aville (UN

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Matthew

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Home delivery: Sam and Rachel Snelling with baby Isaac

Sam Snelling and his wife didn’t plan for a home birth, but their unborn child clearly had other ideas – so it’s just as well he’s trained in first aid.

The Red Cross team leader, from Plymouth, was at home with heavily pregnant Rachel in early December when fate decided to push the fast-forward button on her birthing plans.

At around three in the morning, her waters broke, so the couple started getting ready for hospital – but then things quickly gathered momentum. Just 70 minutes later, Sam was sitting in his own living room holding a lovely baby boy, Isaac.

Sam (29) recalled: “Matters just took their own course, so I didn’t have time to panic. I’m just glad that, having been a first aid trainer, I’d covered emergency childbirth training.

“I remember saying to the emergency operator: ‘The head’s here’. She said the shoulders would be next, and even as she spoke the words there was a baby in my arms.”

He added: “I cleaned him off, checked his colour was okay, wrapped him up and put him on mum’s chest. It was a perfect delivery – and when the midwife arrived, I cut the cord as well.”

Proud mum Rachel said: “Knowing that Sam is trained in first aid was great. He wasn’t panicking at all, so I was quite relaxed. It was like having a midwife there.”

She added: “Two hours later, we were all sitting in the lounge having a cup of tea as a family. It was very surreal.”

After becoming the first UK charity to provide first aid training for street fundraisers, the British Red Cross is now also equipping each team with an automated external defibrillator (AED).

The organisation has already trained all its face to face fundraisers in London, and the programme will be rolled out nationally this year. The decision to give each team a defibrillator seemed like the next logical step.

Joe Mulligan, head of first aid education, said: “Putting more defibrillators onto the streets will quite simply save lives.

“Most patients suffering cardiac arrests will be resuscitated within minutes using a defib, so giving them to our street fundraisers – who work on some of the busiest streets in the country – can only be a good thing.”

Street fundraiser Lisa Kent (32), from London, put her first aid skills into action just two days after she was trained.

She recalled: ”I was out in Sutton when a woman collapsed and had an epileptic fit on the pavement. Nobody knew what to do, so I put her in the recovery position, phoned an ambulance and waited with her until it arrived.”

The British Red Cross has launched its corporate plan for 2013-2015. The organisation is now more than half way through its five-year strategy and has achieved impressive results so far.

The plan focuses on continuing to improve the consistency and quality of core UK services and maintaining international disaster response capabilities through specialist emergency response units. The organisation will also create a more integrated approach to resilience work in the UK and abroad.

To support this work and ensure the sustainability of service delivery, the Red Cross will continue to invest in fundraising and awareness-raising activities.

Nick Young, chief executive, said: “We must continue to be ambitious and ensure that we are having the greatest impact possible on the lives of people affected by crisis.”

RedRoom search: corporate plan 2013-2015

When there’s an emergency, Red Cross vehicles are ready to rush to the scene – using a lot of environment-unfriendly fuel. But emergency vehicles at the Red Cross base in Mitcham are now partly fuelled by cooking oil – thanks to a FuelPod machine which turns it into cheap, sustainable biodiesel.

Matt Smith, operations officer, says: “The machine is run purely on vegetable oil donated by local businesses and our volunteers. It’s essentially a free source of fuel.”

So as well as being kinder to the environment, this saves the Red Cross money (more than £1,000 to date) – which means more for its work in the UK and around the world.

Street fundraisers equipped to save lives

News Super Sam delivers his own baby

Ready: fundraisers like Lisa Kent and Teon Blake now carry defibrillators

Calling all teachers: new advocacy pack drums up supportAs a government review of the English national school curriculum nears its end, the Red Cross has produced an online information pack calling on teachers to support the Pupil, Citizen, Life-saver campaign.

Over the past 18 months, the organisation has lobbied hard to ensure first aid and humanitarian education maintain a secure place on the school curriculum in England.

The Department of Education’s review will conclude this September, which means there’s just seven months to make a real impact on the government’s thinking.

And that’s where the new information pack comes in. Teachers are a powerful advocacy group, so the Red Cross has emailed the pack – supported by a promotional video – to 25,000 schools in England.

Jonathan Ellis, head of policy, research and advocacy, said: “This pack should prove very useful. It clearly explains to teachers why our campaign is so important, and suggests simple ways in which they can directly take action to offer support.”

redcross.org.uk/pupilcitizenlifesaver

Red Cross spells out way ahead

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

UPDATEIf there’s an incident in your area dial 0115 965 8558

Chemical tanker fireCoventry, 12 DecemberFour volunteers helped staff at a rest centre after a chemical tanker was involved in a road accident and caught fire, leaving motorists stranded.

High-rise help London, 13 December Volunteers supported around 100 residents in a 20-storey tower block that lost its power and water supplies due to flooding. They distributed hot and cold water, and blankets.

Ambulance supportSheffield, 14 DecemberVolunteers, equipped with a FESS vehicle, helped transport discharged patients after Sheffield Teaching Hospital experienced an excessively high demand for its own vehicles.

Power cutDerby, 16 JanuaryTwo volunteers undertook a series of house calls, to check up on vulnerable people after a power failure.

A closer look at refugees in the newsThe Red Cross put the media’s representation of refugees and asylum seekers under the spotlight at an event on 12 February.

The organisation hosted a one day symposium in central London as part of its Dispatches UK project, which challenges stereotypes and inaccurate reporting about refugees.

The event featured panellists and speakers from the media, people involved with media regulation and also representatives from UK refugee and asylum groups.

lmccabe@redcross.org.uk

Royal recognition for Olympian effortFew people worked harder than Red Cross volunteers during the busy Olympic Games – and now all that effort has been recognised with The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award.

The Red Cross is among 60 organisations to be commended for successfully harnessing the hard work and generosity of volunteers during 2012 to change Britain for the better.

Although the award was given to the ‘British Red Cross - London’ (since London Area acted as the main co-ordinator of the Olympic volunteer effort), it also recognises the superb contribution made by volunteers nationwide.

More than 450 volunteers packed up their everyday lives so they could volunteer in the capital and Weymouth throughout the period of the Games.

Maryanne Burton, head of volunteering, said: “One of the key features of our tremendous contribution to the games was the fact that our volunteers – with such a rich mix of ages, backgrounds, accents and ethnicities – truly represented the whole of modern Britain.”

News in brief

Special events and celebrations helped Red Cross shops raise £4,014,211 over the Christmas period – beating their target of £4 million.

Shops up and down the UK used everything from raffles to cocktail evenings and celebrity guests to raise cash for people in crisis.

In London, the Kensington and Chelsea shop held its annual designer event, which this year was opened by Pippa Middleton (pictured left) who also donated some signed copies of her new party planning book.

Plymstock furniture and electrical shop got the tills ringing with a glamorous cocktail evening, while in Hove customers enjoyed a taste of luxury with a cheese and wine night.

In Tenby volunteers knitted cute decorations in the shape of Christmas puddings (see page 9), while the Rossendale shop was transformed into a magical grotto with the return of its festive toy fair.

And in Rochester even the stingiest of Scrooges opened their wallets as the shop took part in the town’s Dickens-themed celebrations.

redcross.org.uk/charityshops

Photos on page 6: ©

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A new survey commissioned by the British Red Cross shows that cuts to preventative social care support are putting vulnerable people at risk.

Vulnerable people put ‘at risk’ by social care cuts

According to the new ComRes poll, almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of councillors across England have seen funding for low-level social care cut or frozen since the last local election.

And where cuts (averaging 16 per cent) have taken place, 76 per cent of councillors are worried about the elderly and vulnerable in their local area.

At the same time, new findings by business advisory firm Deloitte have underscored the benefits the Red Cross can bring – both in providing quality short-term care for the most vulnerable and saving millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money.

Both the new reports, which contain positive findings about the Red Cross’ role in the health and social care sector, should bring multiple benefits to the organisation.

Adrian Thomas, head of external relations, said: “First, they will help the Red Cross influence the ongoing debate about social care reform as the government considers its next steps.

“They should also increase the public profile – and uptake of – our health and social care services among the wider public, while also expanding our local authority and NHS contracts.”

News

Dignity Action Day

Volunteers and staff helped commemorate this special day – launched five years ago by the Department of Health – on 1 February.

The annual event highlights the importance of treating people with dignity and respect in all health and social care settings. To mark the occasion, the Red Cross produced some Dignity Action Day guidance, suggesting ways to take practical action in support of the day.

RedRoom search: dignity action day

Rural flood report launched

The British Red Cross launched a new report, which explores the impact of flooding on rural communities in Northern Ireland, in Enniskillen on 14 December

The popular launch event was attended by many emergency service, local authority and community representatives. Arlene Foster, Northern Ireland minister for trade, enterprise and investment, also made an appearance.

Help for Britons during hostage crisis

A British Red Cross psychosocial support team travelled to Algeria on 18 January to help Britons involved in the Algerian hostage crisis.

The four-day siege and hostage taking resulted in the deaths of 37 foreigners of eight nationalities and one Algerian worker. Three Britons were killed and three others are missing and presumed dead.

The team of six provided emotional support and practical help to British nationals caught up in the situation, and their relatives. They went as part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) rapid deployment team, which is responsible for supporting Britons overseas.

Something to sneeze about…From this month, event first aiders and ambulance teams across the UK will be better equipped to help allergy sufferers.

That’s because the Red Cross has been rolling out training for volunteers and staff on how to administer loratadine, a non-sedating anti-histamine.

And not without good reason, it seems. A recent audit of patient report forms showed 18 per cent of patients helped at events suffer from allergies such as hayfever, bites and stings.

Christopher Law, clinical governance manager, said: “This is a big step forward in the care we provide.

“We’ve learned from the experiences of our volunteers and staff in the field to improve the service we offer – and all in good time for hayfever season.”

RedRoom search: loratadine

SHOPS GET CREATIVE TO SMASH FESTIVE FUNDRAISING TARGET

Photos on page 8: ©

BR

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Matthew

Percival (B

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, © V

ictoria Wood-M

atthews (B

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Paper dress hits the right note A festive dress with a musical twist pulled in curious customers at the Red Cross shop in Belper, Derbyshire in the run up to Christmas. Assistant manager Laura Seal created the dress (pictured) out of 50 to 60 pages of sheet music, featuring the words and tunes of Christmas songs Deck the Halls and Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

Christmas puds in Tenby One retail volunteer in Tenby had an original idea to boost Christmas countdown sales – which topped £800. Christine Griffiths knitted around 200 woolly Christmas

pudding decorations, each containing a chocolate, which sold for £1. Her sister,

Buddy, sewed all the holly leaves on top.

Kathryn Hodgson, shop manager, said: “I’d also like to thank Gill Couch, assistant manager, for baking hundreds of mince pies and all the volunteers, for their fantastic support.”

Winter windfall in SuttonThe Red Cross shop in the quiet village of Sutton has become a hotbed of curiosities, after receiving some unique high-end items in recent months. An antique German clock is on sale for £175, while an ornate Italian lamp and striking Fabergé egg were both snapped up for £80.

Eagle-eyed shop manager Lesley Cross spotted these gems among the donations and knew they were something special. Lesley said: “Our shop’s only little, but you do get some unusual items. After eight years I’m used to being surprised!”

redcross.org.uk/charityshops

Independent: village warden Sue Williams (right) helped Anne Pitt get the support she needs

Photos on page 8: ©

Helen H

asse.

LOCAL HERO

Hayley GrayYouth, fundraising and emergency response volunteer, north Wales

Hayley delivers first aid and humanitarian education for young people in north Wales. She is an excellent ambassador for the Red Cross and was recently nominated for a Humanitarian Citizen Award (see picture).

Last November, she became a real hero when flooding struck St Asaph, where she lives. Despite the fear of her own home being flooded, she headed down to the rest centre to help evacuees. Her beaming smile was welcomed by everyone who came in.

On her own initiative, Hayley also set up a donation centre where people could give clothing and furniture to those affected. She knew many people’s Christmas plans were ruined, so decided to put aside new donations and wrap them as Christmas presents for the flood victims.

Hayley is not just a hero for the Red Cross but also in her community. She worked long hours during the floods, saying: “I couldn’t stop knowing that people still needed help.” Laura Clays, people and learning manager, Wales

EVERYDAY FIRST AID TIPredcross.org.uk/everydayfirstaid

How to give first aid to someone who is bleeding heavily

Put pressure on the wound with whatever is available to stop or slow down the flow of blood.

Call 999 as soon as possible, or get someone else to do it.

Keep pressure on the wound until help arrives.

What’s the challenge?Herefordshire is a rural area with an older population than most other parts of the UK. Vulnerable older people in the county need help to stay healthy, independent and at the heart of their community.How does the Red Cross help?Village wardens help vulnerable older people in the area manage their money, visit the doctor, eat well and keep their homes safe and secure. The support makes it easier for older people to make and keep friendships, enjoy hobbies and interests and play a part in their community.

The volunteers can also give respite to carers, easing the pressure on them and the people they look after. And the scheme puts people in touch with other sources of help if they need a bit more support. What’s the result?By supporting thousands of vulnerable older people in their own homes, the scheme has improved their lives and cut the need for trips to hospital.

Warden Sue Williams has helped Anne Pitt get regular visits from carers, a shower rail fitted in her bathroom and hot meals delivered to her home.

Anne said: “Sue has been marvellous, absolutely marvellous. I’m getting the support I need now. I wouldn’t have got it on my own, I wouldn’t have known what to do and it’s all thanks to Sue.”

SHOP WINDOW

Made to measure services

Thanks to the ICRC’s track record in Colombia and its reputation for neutrality, impartiality and confidentiality, the organisation plays a prominent role as neutral intermediary in humanitarian issues. In 2012, it facilitated 29 hostage liberations and directly helped many more people with the recovery of mortal remains, assistance for displaced people and the mediation of abuses of international humanitarian law.

BRITISH RED CROSS SUPPORT

The British Red Cross supports the Liberian Red Cross’ disaster management programme, as well as helping communities recover from the conflict through:

> Child advocacy and rehabilitation – helping children deal with the trauma of the war through counselling and recreational activities, and providing education and vocational training.

> Educating communities on the sources of disease and how to prevent them. This includes building wells and latrines, helping mothers care for their own health and their children’s during and after pregnancy, and first aid training.

Photos on page 10: ©

Matthew

Percival (B

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ICR

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Screen stardom is paying off for the Red Cross. The organisation’s recent advertising campaign boosted awareness and

understanding of its work in the UK and sparked a surge in requests for services.

The TV advert at the heart of the campaign featured a young woman representing different types of crisis, from floods to first aid emergencies. It highlighted Red Cross work on emergency response, first aid and health and social care across Britain.

For four weeks it appeared on the TV screens of 40 million adults before, during and after must-watch programmes such as Downton Abbey.

What’s more, about 35 million adults had over a dozen chances to see campaign posters on bus stops, billboards and other outdoor surfaces across the UK. And five million picked up copies of the Metro newspaper featuring ads linked to the campaign.

The TV advert was viewed 500,000 times on YouTube, while campaign posts on Facebook were liked 18,236 times

Among people who saw the adverts, two thirds said they learned something new about the work the charity does in the UK, and two in five thought the services of the Red Cross were more relevant to them personally.

There was a six per cent increase in people who spontaneously thought of the Red Cross when asked to recall the names of UK charities, with the TV element of the campaign accounting for most of this improvement.

Increased demand for servicesFiona Smith, campaign manager, said: “We’ve had superb feedback about the campaign and the increase in demand for services demonstrates just how necessary it is for us to promote our work to people who need our help.”

During the campaign, 1,658 requests for services were made – a 27 per cent rise compared to the weeks before the adverts were shown.

The campaign also sparked a surge in visits to the Red Cross Facebook page and website, where the UK services

pages achieved 84 per cent more views. Total visits to the site rose by nine per cent.

On Facebook, volunteer Alison Fraser praised the “attention grabbing” and “up to date” TV advert. Lucy Burbedge said: “I really love it, great ad for the times, am proud to be part of the Red Cross when I see it.” The campaign continues this year with more newspaper advertising and the return of the TV advert in February, May and over the summer.

Legacy advertsAnd these were not the only Red Cross messages appearing on screens up and down the country last year. Adverts, aimed at 55 to 70-year-olds, encouraging people to support the Red Cross with a gift in their will were also broadcast on TV, radio and online.

In follow-up research, over half of those interviewed remembered seeing the awareness or legacy TV ads, with over one in five recalling both.

Importantly, researchers found people who watched the legacy ads were ten per cent more likely to consider leaving a gift for the Red Cross in their will.

> Capital MONROVIA> Population 3.8 MILLION> Life expectancy 56.8 YEARS > UN Human Development Index RATED 182 OUT OF 187 COUNTRIES

redcross.org.uk/liberia

“We used to have to walk five hours to get to the clinic. A lot of people would get diarrhoea and some died. In 2004, the Red Cross built a well and two toilets in our village. They taught us about health and hygiene, and gave us drinking buckets, mosquito nets and seeds for communal farms. Now

my two children have not suffered one day from diarrhoea or cholera.”Faty Togbah, Kornemah, a remote village in the Liberian jungle

Army officials,

guerrilla commanders and

civilians alike, joke

darkly about the

conflict around

the small town of

Saravena in the

Colombian state of Arauca – ‘Sarabomba’

they call it. Mass displacement,

disappearances, summary executions and

major combat: over the past 50 years,

civilians in this area have lived through it all.

The ICRC has been here for the past 18

years. It is a small office with two delegates

and eight Colombian staff. We carry out

a wide span of activities from hostage

liberations to work with civilian and military

authorities to strengthen the observance

of international humanitarian law.

The days can be long and the work

exhausting but it is a close-knit team. The

immense satisfaction of small successes

keeps us going even when they do not

occur every day.

Daniel

Postcard from ColombiaDaniel Littlejohn-Carrillo, ICRC field delegate

“The increase in demand for services demonstrates just how necessary it is for us to promote our work”

COUNTRY PROFILE

LIBERIA

Fact box

COLOMBIA

LIBERIA

HUMANITARIAN CONTEXT

Fourteen years of civil war, from 1989 to 2003, had a devastating effect on the people of Liberia, with around 150,000 people killed and many maimed, both physically and mentally. In the aftermath, communities struggled to meet their daily needs. More than 21,000 child soldiers were used by armed parties to the conflict. Afterwards, they were often treated as outcasts.

Written by Sarah Oughton

As the Red Cross helps regenerate a community devastated by the Haiti earthquake, it is taking an innovative approach, ensuring the people affected are in the driving seat.

With a pair of gloves in hand, Lucie Janvier assesses her wheelbarrow and chooses the next colour of brick to lay. As part of a British Red Cross urban regeneration project in her neighbourhood, Delmas 19 in Port-au-Prince, Lucie is helping build a path beside the canal.

When the project began, in July 2012, the community was invited to select a diverse range of representatives, including younger and older people, women and people with disabilities, to form a committee.

Continued on page 14

Multi-

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How to grow a safer futureThe British Red Cross is providing tree seedlings to help communities in Uganda avert disaster

Natural disasters, such as drought, flooding and landslides, affected 3.6 million Ugandans between 2000 and 2009. While Uganda’s economy has grown fast in the last two decades, a quarter of the population still lives in poverty – making them particularly vulnerable.

Karen Peachey, British Red Cross representative in east Africa, said: “Disasters are only going to become a greater threat due to a rapidly growing population, environmental degradation and climate change, which is predicted to increase both the dry spells and intense rains.”

The British Red Cross has received £2.6 milion from the UK government’s Department for International Development (DFID) for a programme to help Ugandan communities be better prepared for disasters, saving both lives and livelihoods.

As part of the programme, the Red Cross has already provided 50,000 tree seedlings. These will help reforest parts of the Mount Elgon region, where the majority of families depend on the land for their survival. Environmental degradation in this region

has contributed to increasingly frequent floods and landslides in recent years.

William Kimanai is a 34-year-old community volunteer in Wanga village – one of the 30 communities to receive seedlings. He said: “We’ve been given a number of tree species including mangoes, guavas, oranges and eucalyptus. The trees conserve moisture and that is why we plant them along the river banks. We encourage every household member to plant at least three trees.”

Speaking about the programme, Ken Kiggundu, Uganda Red Cross director of disaster management, said: “We are determined that people living in these high-risk areas should have every opportunity to live their lives to the fullest.

“Normally what we call a disaster begins as a hazard. Given the right knowledge and skills people can ensure potential disasters cause minimal disruption and loss to their community.”

redcross.org.uk/ugandaprogramme

Appeal Update

SYRIA

Syria Crisis AppealThe situation in Syria continues to deteriorate. The UN Human Rights Commissioner estimated that at least 60,000 civilians had died by the end of November 2012. Since mid-2011 the British Red Cross has contributed some £4.88 million to support operations in Syria and to help Syrian refugees in surrounding countries. In December, to help people cope with winter weather, British Red Cross aid convoys began taking emergency bedding, tarpaulins and other aid into Syria. To date, the appeal has raised £972,000.

CARIBBEAN

Hurricane Sandy AppealHurricane Sandy caused destruction across the Caribbean and the east coast of the United States in October 2012. Since then, the Movement has been supporting affected countries with food, clean water and other essentials. It has also been working to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks in the hurricane’s wake. The Department for International Development has contributed £850,000 to Cuba’s recovery and £875,000 to Haiti. Through the British Red Cross, this vital aid will enable the Cuban and Haitian Red Cross Societies to provide food, shelter and other support to affected people. The appeal has now raised £488,000.

12 January 2010 an earthquake struck Port-au-Prince; at least 230,000 people killed, 310,000 injured and 2 million displaced

13 January 2010 the British Red Cross launches an appeal and the emergency response operation begins

16 January 2010 deployment of logistics emergency response unit (ERU) for four months

UGANDA

HAITI

International

UGANDA

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Sarah O

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oldstein.

JOSETTE’S STORY

The gift of a new marketJosette Dorleans, 56, is a well-known trader in Delmas 19, selling food in the street. She says: “In 2009, the municipality of Delmas gave us free land for a public market, but when the earthquake happened, people came and put their tents on it. Following the tragedy I spent all my savings and ate my stock with my family and others.”

When the British Red Cross began a cash grants programme in Delmas 19, Josette received $625 in two instalments. The money allowed her to meet basic needs and start her business again, helping her provide for her seven children.

In December 2012, as part of an urban regeneration project in Josette’s neighbourhood, the Red Cross built a new market, providing an improved place of business for 33 street sellers.

Josette says: “This is our Christmas gift and it is a good step for the development of our community. It is one of the best things the Red Cross has done for us and we call it British Market.”

Together, the British Red Cross and the committee developed a programme according to the community’s priorities, which included improving the infrastructure, as well as people’s homes and livelihoods. Altogether, it will benefit around 4,000 people.

John English, recovery operations manager, says: “Every step of the way the committee is consulted and involved in making decisions about the work. Their first priority was to rebuild the drainage canal which runs through Delmas 19 and regularly floods houses in the neighbourhood with dirty water.”

In August 2012 this work was put to the test when Tropical Storm Isaac swept through Haiti, bringing heavy rains and winds with it. It was the first time such heavy rain had not caused the houses next to the canal to flood.

Urban planningThe Red Cross provides material for the programme and members of the community provide labour, backed up by skilled advice and supervision from Red Cross staff. It is this highly participative approach (ensuring the community really ‘owns’ the programme), along with the integrated way of working (responding to a range of needs in the community), which is innovative.

Amelia Rule, Red Cross shelter delegate, says: “We analysed the neighbourhood and found a distinct lack of public space, especially safe areas for children to play.

“The only unoccupied area was the open drainage canal. While designing the canal reconstruction, we saw a great opportunity; if we covered the channel with a concrete platform, it could become a public pathway and a key route for crossing between the zones. The community is now a lot more connected, and also has an emergency route to the main road.”

Paving the way forwardLucie, who is 60 and has eight children, is part of a team of 12 who have learned how to lay

stones. As she lays another coloured slab, she says: “Thanks to the Red Cross, we feel life is a bit better than before. A few months ago, no one would sit along the canal, it wasn’t nice. Now, you can easily spend time here with your friends.”

The next phase of infrastructure work involves clearing rubble-filled sites next to the canal and creating a public space with a seating area and trees. It is being integrated with the paved area on top of the canal, by also using coloured paving stones.

Amelia says: “The Federation has a rubble recycling project, turning destroyed buildings into paving stones and furniture to use in the reconstruction of Port-au-Prince. The shape of the paving stones lets the team be very creative; they are also designing areas for hop-scotch and playing marbles.”

Shelter and livelihoodsIn addition to improving community infrastructure and public health, the Red Cross is supporting shelter and livelihood needs. This differs according to a family’s situation. Shelter support includes house reconstruction, repairs, provision of materials for repairs and support for renting accommodation.

Also, around 3,500 families were given unconditional cash grants of $125, followed by two conditional grants of $250 each, along with basic business and financial management training, for the development of a small business.

The new pathway Lucie is working on also improves livelihood opportunities for members of the community: traders can set their stalls up and benefit from the business of passers-by, though this is not the only benefit, as Lucie notes with a big smile: “Imagine at night, with lights, and the colour of the stones, sitting here eating fried food and some drinks. Imagine how beautiful it will be.”

redcross.org.uk/haiti

April – May 2010 emergency response phase ends and phase one of recovery programme begins

October 2010 a second emergency begins with an outbreak of cholera

December 2010 – September 2011 6,647 school fees paid for displaced children for one school year

April 2011 – May 2012 3,474 families given unconditional cash grants of $125 in Delmas 19, Port-au-Prince, followed by conditional grants of $500 for income generating activities

October 2011 comprehensive mapping of housing in Port-au-Prince completed

July – November 2012 rebuilding the Delmas 19 drainage canal

November – December 2012new marketplace built

January – September 2011 3,081 households benefit from daily wages while working on infrastructure project

June – December 2011 community-based health and first aid project

October 2012 – January 2013 support for re-housing 900 families in Automeca camp

December 2013 planned completion of British Red Cross recovery programme in Haiti

August 2010 4,028 families given unconditional cash grants of $250 in Automeca camp, Port-au-Prince

October 2010 – December 2011 over 340,000 people reached with information on how to prevent and treat cholera

July 2012 phase two of recovery programme begins, with a regeneration project in Delmas 19, benefitting 4,000 people

Photos: ©

Julien Goldstein.

“Imagine at night, with lights, and the colour of the stones. Imagine how beautiful it will be”

1. Triage: the Red Cross responds to first aid emergencies as part of the exercise

2. Creature comforts: pets are often brought along to rest centres during evacuations

3. Working together: local schools, drama groups and community organisations are involved to make the exercise a realistic event

4. Role-play: schoolchildren play the part of casualties

The British Red Cross helps set up and run hundreds of rest centres each year, following emergencies such as the recent floods in St Asaph in north Wales. This emergency response exercise in Sheffield, which was based on the scenario of a riot, illustrates some aspects of this work.

THE RED CROSS CAN OFFER:

> practical support such as registering attendees, transporting casualties and loaning medical equipment

> emotional support> distribution of aid such as drinking water, food

and clothing> first aid> multilingual support> signposting to the statutory and other

voluntary organisations.

redcross.org.uk/ukemergencyresponse

SAFE AND SOUND

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Snapshot

Too many people still lack the confidence to put their first aid skills into practice when it really counts – but the Red Cross is taking steps to improve matters.

First aid training is automatically a great thing. Just teach people the proper skills, hand them a certificate and they’ll be ready to tackle emergencies wherever they go. That’s how it works, surely?

Sadly, it isn’t necessarily so. Apparently, having the proper training doesn’t always translate into hard action in the face of a crisis. Recent research shows just seven per cent of the UK population has the skills and willingness to help a stranger.

The reasons for this are straightforward enough: people often worry about getting things wrong – or even being sued – and nerves can play a part. In fairness, there is a big difference between working on a resus dummy in a training room and giving cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to a casualty on a crowded street.

CONFiDENCE BOOSTERThat’s why the British Red Cross has produced The Skill and the Will, a new resource pack to help first aid trainers really push home the importance of taking action.

Emily Oliver, programme manager, explains: “The pack’s designed to boost confidence and encourage serious discussion among participants about how to behave in an emergency situation.

“It reinforces the point that Red Cross training absolutely equips people with the qualities to make a difference. It also reassures first aiders that, once they call 999, they are not alone – the emergency operator will provide support until an ambulance arrives.”

The resource also includes two newspaper stories about casualties who were ignored in public places, highlighting the dangers of the ‘bystander effect’.

SUCCESSFUl pilOTThe Skill and the Will is the result of extensive research conducted across three Areas – Nottingham, Reading and Glasgow – in 2011.

Using the Everyday First Aid course as a starting point, the Red Cross tested five different combinations of activities. The most effective model – which placed a strong emphasis on increasing the propensity to act – produced significantly more participants who later felt willing to help during an emergency.

Emily added: “This new approach, which we plan to gradually roll out over the next year, should be a massive help to our first aid trainers. I can’t recommend it highly enough.”

SkillED – AND WilliNgBrigitte Bellwood When a man suddenly collapsed and stopped breathing at a busy airport, Brigitte didn’t hesitate to act. She said: “When I saw people shouting for help, there was no way I was going to just stand by and do nothing. That’s the difference the Red Cross made.”

Mel palmer Confronted with a cardiac arrest, care worker Mel gave CPR for a gruelling eight minutes – and saved the man’s life. She said: “Thanks to the Red Cross’ brilliant training, it all came back to me automatically. I kept him going until the ambulance crew arrived.”

redcross.org.uk/everydayfirstaid

“It all came back to me automatically. I kept him going until the ambulance crew arrived”

Written by Mark Cox

Ready to

respond?

First aid

Wheelchair keeps Fergus moving after horrific crashWith extensive injuries after being hit by a van, Fergus Grant worried he’d have to give up his college studies until the Red Cross stepped in to help.

The 44-year-old cyclist was training to become a photography tutor when he was hit side-on by a van at a junction in east Belfast.

Fergus had multiple fractures including his shoulder blades, collar bone, shins and ankles. The top of his spine was compressed on impact and he tore ligaments and tendons in his neck.

He spent two months in a rehabilitation unit but even once he was released, unable to use crutches because of his broken shoulders, he couldn’t get to college or around the campus.

He said: “My occupational therapist recommended the Red Cross wheelchair loan service. From day one the professionalism and friendliness of the Red Cross was great. Everyone there was very helpful and sympathetic to me.”

“I thought I would have to give up my course but the chair allowed my college friends to come and collect me and wheel me from class to class. If it hadn’t been for the Red Cross I wouldn’t have been able to continue my studies.”

redcross.org.uk/medicalequipment

“From day one the professionalism and friendliness of the Red Cross was great”

When 90-year-old Irene Thomas was awoken in the early hours of the morning last September, she was horrified to discover her home had been burgled.

Irene, who lives alone, said: “I pressed my pendant alarm, because I felt panicky and like I was going to faint. I had a heart attack a few years ago and I was feeling a bit tight in my chest. It was the thought that someone had been in my house and they could have attacked me.”

The alarm operator called the police. When the officer arrived, he asked Irene if he could call the Red Cross to send a volunteer to sit with her.

The fire and emergency support service (FESS) has worked in partnership with the South Wales Police since 2009, to support to people in crisis in the Cardiff area. On receiving the call, FESS co-ordinator Rob Green and volunteer Neeta Gupta went immediately to Irene’s house.

Neeta said: “I made Mrs Thomas a cup of tea and we talked through her concerns. Her handbag had been stolen, so we cancelled her cards. The house keys had gone and it clearly wasn’t safe to leave her alone.”

Neeta and Rob waited with Irene until the police returned later than morning.

Irene, a Red Cross supporter, said: “I was surprised and grateful. I didn’t know the Red Cross could help but without them, I don’t know what I would have done.”

People

Caring: Neeta Gupta (left) and Rob Green with Irene Thomas

Soft boiled volunteer

Get to know someone in the time it takes to boil an egg

This new feature gives a quick glimpse into the lives of some of our volunteers across the country. This issue, give a cracking welcome to Mark Walker.

What’s your service? I’m an event first aid and emergency response volunteer based in the West Midlands.

Been with the Red Cross for… Twelve years, and still proud to be a member.

Greatest achievement Passing my emergency driving course. Who wouldn’t be chuffed? You can drive through red lights legally.

Weirdest volunteer experience? Being ordered to start crying in front of another man. (In fairness, I was role-playing a casualty at the time.)

Who’d play you on the movie of your life? Ade Edmondson – he’s my lookalike.

Special skill I have been known to do the odd bit of ballroom dancing.

Main Red Cross gripe We don’t tell the public enough about what we do. We’re always there when we are needed, so let’s get in the news more.

Desert island disc Cry Me A River, by Michael Bublé.

How many Facebook friends do you have? That would be telling. Become my friend and find out.

Preferred superpower The ability to be invisible.

I just can’t say no to… Sausage and egg on crusty bread with red sauce. Now, that’s a man’s sandwich.

Motto Well, that’s life…

Kind support after burglary

redcross.org.uk/fess

Amanda saves ten-year-old cyclist’s armVolunteer Amanda Edwards used her years of first aid experience to help save an injured boy’s arm after a cycling accident.

Amanda was providing first aid support at the Manchester Velodrome during a children’s session in October when a ten-year-old boy came off his bike.

The fall broke his arm and pushed the broken bone through his skin. As the boy clutched his arm, the broken bone cut an artery, causing him to bleed heavily.

Amanda, who has been a first aider for 20 years and with the Red Cross for the last three, rushed to help. She compressed the wound and kept the bleeding to a minimum until an ambulance arrived, while comforting the boy and his family.

The boy needed a metal rod and plate in his arm and shoulder but, had Amanda not been there to help, the ambulance crew confirmed he would have probably lost the limb.

When Josephine Hick (74) from Leeds, went into hospital for a hip operation last September, she was worried about how she was going to cope. Her daughter lives miles away in Slough and her husband had recently gone into a nursing home. On top of this, her son had died suddenly a few months before and she was feeling very low.

Josephine (pictured) was referred to the Red Cross care in the home service before she even went into hospital and, the day after her operation, team support worker Beverley Yardley visited her on the ward.

When she returned home, volunteer Judith Dunderdale popped round to help with jobs like shopping, cleaning out the fridge and returning library books. She also arranged for a therapeutic care volunteer to give Josephine a massage to help relieve the stress.

Josephine said: “I was definitely in a crisis – probably more so than an average person coming out of hospital – on account of my bereavement. I was in no man’s land. It was very difficult.

“The Red Cross was incredible – the volunteers couldn’t do enough for me. Their support helped me back from that difficult point.”

redcross.org.uk/careinthehome

I WAS IN NO MAN’S LAND

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Stck Exchange

A lifeline in Kazakhstan

Life-saving knowledge: Sergei learned how to prevent TB spreading to other members of his family

As the threat of HIV and tuberculosis (TB) is increasing in Kazakhstan, Red Crescent workers are serving on the frontline, providing vital support to people facing stigma and discrimination.

In the city of Karaganda, the stigma of tuberculosis (TB) has left Aigherim and her family living in fear of eviction by their landlord.

Although it is a curable disease, TB kills three people every minute. People who lack the resources to live a healthy life are most at risk, which is why it is often called a ‘disease of poverty’.

Aigherim, 23, her husband, their three children, her parents, her sister Aisulu, and Aisulu’s newborn baby all live in one apartment. Money is short, their living conditions poor and TB is plaguing their lives.

“My mother caught TB from my grandfather, who she nursed till he passed away,” Aigherim says. “When I found out I also had it, I began crying. My sister was pregnant when she found out she had it, but her partner still left her.”

Dealing with stigmaLike the common cold, TB primarily infects lungs and spreads via droplets in the air released during coughing and sneezing. This contagious element of

the disease, along with lack of information on how to prevent and treat it, means those living with TB often struggle in the face of huge discrimination.

The Kazakhstan Red Crescent, supported by the British Red Cross, is working hard to educate people about the disease. It also provides a lifeline to people like Aigherim and her family. Usually, staff and volunteers visit people in their home, but Aigherim and her family fear drawing attention to their home due to the discrimination they have experienced.

Aigherim says: “The Red Crescent support is very important, but we prefer to go to their office. We’re frightened the landlord will kick us out if he finds out about our TB status. It happened before, in the middle of the night, with the kids.”

Her husband, Syrym, adds: “It was a real ordeal for us to find another apartment.”

TB hot spotIn recent years, central Asia has become a global hot spot for multi-drug resistant TB, which Aigherim, her mother and sister all have. TB is curable with a course of drugs that lasts several months, but the drugs have extreme side effects. If people don’t understand the importance of completing the treatment and stop early, it increases the chance of re-infection. In such cases, strains of TB can become resistant to the drugs used to treat it.

Aigherim’s three children have all had TB as well. They were cured after a stay in hospital, however now they’ve returned to the poor living conditions in the overcrowded family apartment, there is a risk they will get re-infected.

Aiman Shaimerdenova, Red Crescent project co-ordinator, says: “We are doing all we can to help. We encourage them to stick to their TB treatment, talk to them about how to keep healthy and provide food packages every three months.”

Vulnerable to infectionIn Kazakhstan, a growing dependence on drugs, and the sharing of needles, has resulted in an increasing number of HIV infections. And because HIV affects people’s immune systems, they are more susceptible to picking up other infections, such as TB.

Ex-prisoners, sex workers and people who inject drugs are particularly vulnerable to TB and HIV. The Kazakhstan Red Crescent is focused on helping such people, who are often marginalised and unlikely to access public services.

Volunteers play a vital role, visiting people, providing emotional support, advice and encouragement on taking medication and keeping healthy. However,

there is also a team of professional social workers, psychologists and lawyers who provide a free support service. The legal support is particularly important to help people address issues of discrimination and to get official documents needed to access public services.

Desire to liveA heavy heroin user, diagnosed with TB and HIV, and estranged from his wife and daughter, Dmitry had no desire to live. His story isn’t unusual in his run-down neighbourhood in Termirtau.

Dmitry says: “When I was taking drugs, everything I appreciated and loved became insignificant. Then I got HIV and TB and I found it really tough to live in this world. I felt like an outcast.”

However, these days Dmitry has a new partner, a desire to live and has given up drugs. “The attitude of people at the Red Crescent makes a huge difference, they’ve helped me survive,” Dmitry says. “They always ask what’s going on and follow up, they don’t leave us alone.”

Sergei, who lives in Karaganda, tells a similar story. When he was diagnosed with TB he was so worried about infecting his family that he considered leaving home and living in his truck.

Through the Red Crescent programme, Sergei learnt a lot about how to prevent the spread of TB and no one else in the family has caught it. Now he is a strong advocate for treatment.

He says: “Men are often shy to speak about their problems but with a peer they can be more open. I’ve learned a lot from the volunteers and now I encourage other men to get treated.”

redcross.org.uk/tb

They always ask what’s going on and follow up, they don’t leave us alone

Written by Sarah Oughton

New hope: the Red Crescent is supporting Dmitry (above) and Aigherim (below left) to help them recover from TB

Shoppers at the Westfield centre in London’s Shepherds Bush were able to solve their Christmas gift dilemmas while supporting the British Red Cross.

A special Red Cross pop-up shop was set up in the retail paradise using the theme: ‘It’s not shopping, it’s charity!’ to encourage people to enjoy guilt-free spending.

Christmas treats on offer included stocking fillers and presents for all ages, such as vintage aprons, mugs and classic children’s toys.

The shop was open for business from 13-16 December, over one of the busiest weekends of the year. In total, xxx people spent more than xxxx over the four days.

Di Goss, retail manager, said: “The idea was to raise awareness of our high street and online shops in the run up to Christmas, which also featured the same banners. Westfield attracts 500,000 visitors each week – so it was a fantastic opportunity to raise not only money, but also awareness of our work in the UK and overseas.”

CountryLife

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engilley.

Comedy fans were treated to a hilarious evening of stand-up at Giggle Aid IV in Sheffield on 16 December.

Five top comedians, including Terry Alderton, Paul Sinha and Arthur Smith, brought the house down with their routines in the Platinum Suite at Sheffield United FC’s Bramall Lane stadium. The event attracted 370 guests and raised a side-splitting £6,500 for the British Red Cross.

“It was a rip-roaring night of comedy – the artists were brilliant and all gave their time for free,” said Max Newton, community fundraiser, who organised the event. “Paul Sinha went down a storm and Terry Alderton’s act was verging on surreal and got everyone talking.”

Max added: “When we asked for feedback, three quarters of the audience actually said we should charge more than the £15 ticket price, because the comedians were so good. We will definitely be doing Giggle Aid again next year – and may even expand into other cities in the north.”

Sheffield: rip-roaring comedy nets £6,500

London: Christmas fair nets £40k

Television presenter Gloria Hunniford launched the annual shopping extravaganza which is Red Cross London Christmas fair on 28-29 November. Over 70 stallholders transformed Kensington Town Hall with their quirky, traditional and mouth-watering Christmas offerings, raising more than £40,000. The event started with a wine and canapés evening, where Gloria was the guest speaker. She said: “I am particularly glad to be supporting the British Red Cross – a charity which really deserves our support at Christmas time.”

Skye: Hornsea Pottery gift will help others

The Red Cross has received a massive donation of 300 banana boxes full of pottery from Isle of Skye businesswoman Julia Hexford.

Julia ran an online business selling the pottery, including pieces from the famous Hornsea Pottery (pictured below). Unfortunately, her husband became ill and the couple had to move back to Yorkshire for him to have treatment.

Anne Eadie, service manager, said: “We can’t thank Julia enough. It is an incredibly generous gesture and will raise a lot of money for the Red Cross. We’re just so sorry about the unhappy circumstances that led to her giving up her business. I can promise, however, that every penny raised will help make a difference to the lives of others.”

Luton: CostCo donates food to refugee service

Wholesale warehouse company CostCo is donating food to the Red Cross for destitute refugees and asylum seekers in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex. Under the partnership, which began in January, the CostCo store in Thurrock will regularly donate food such as bread, eggs and vegetables to the refugee centre in Luton, to be distributed around the Area.

Tayyaba Khan, service manger, said: “These donations will make a significant difference. We have been addressing our clients’ most basic needs through a destitution fund. Now we can provide them with something substantial to take away, which we try to do in as dignified a way as possible.”

Manchester: 175 Santas come to town

Small children in south Manchester must have thought all their Christmases had come at once when 175 people turned up on 2 December dressed as Santa. However it was a British Red Cross Santa Dash which had attracted the jolly, red-suited fundraisers. Participants jogged, hopped, skipped and even unicycled one mile around Fog Lane Park in Didsbury, raising more than £5,000 for the charity.

Paul Meredith, who took part, said: “I thought it was very well-organised and good fun. I enjoyed it and so did my three

year old daughter who was on my shoulders for the whole thing. I will certainly look out for it next year and hope to take part again.”

Cornwall residents in emergency situations can expect dedicated support from a Red Cross team, with the launch of the new fire and emergency support service (FESS) on 11 December.

Based at Falmouth Community Fire Station, trained volunteers will work alongside the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service, providing emotional and practical support during fires, floods and other emergencies.

Red Cross volunteers and firefighters teamed up in a fire simulation exercise at Tuesday’s launch event, to demonstrate how this new partnership will work.

Exeter University student Frankie Boyd (20) said: “We’ll provide an oasis of calm when people are shocked and upset.”

FESS supports people in many other areas of the UK, but this is its first time in rural Cornwall, where flooding is a regular occurrence. For now, the service can only operate on weekends but, with more volunteers, FESS hopes to be providing a round-the-clock service later next year.

LocalLife

Retail therapyat Westfield pop up shop

Gifts galore: a stallholder at the London Christmas fair

Shoppers at the Westfield centre in London’s Shepherds Bush were able to solve their Christmas gift dilemmas while supporting the British Red Cross.

A special Red Cross pop-up shop was set up in the retail paradise using the theme: ‘It’s not shopping, it’s charity!’ to encourage people to enjoy guilt-free spending.

Christmas treats on offer included stocking fillers and presents for all ages, such as vintage aprons, mugs and classic children’s toys.

The shop was open for business from 13-16 December, over one of the busiest weekends of the year. In total, the shop sold more than 700 items over the four days, making £3,500.

Di Goss, retail manager, said: “The idea was to raise awareness of our high street and online shops in the run up to Christmas, which also featured the same banners. Westfield attracts 500,000 visitors each week – so it was a fantastic opportunity to raise not only money, but also awareness of our work in the UK and overseas.”

redcross.org.uk/shop

Cornwall: new service for rural residents

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The Red Cross has been my family for so long

It is 150 years since the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement was founded, inspired by Swiss businessman, Henry Dunant.

Dunant was appalled at the suffering of thousands of men who were left to die due to lack of care after the Battle of Solferino in 1859. His account of what he saw, and proposal to set up national relief societies, led to the formation of the Committee of Five in Geneva, and the signing of the founding charter of the Red Cross in 1863.

Dunant later recalled on a visit to London in 1872: “Though I am known as the founder of the Red Cross and the originator of the Convention of Geneva, it

is to an English woman that all the honour is due. What inspired me to go to Italy during the war of 1859 was the work of Miss Florence Nightingale in the Crimea.”

Florence Nightingale was associated with the British Red Cross from its inception. She encouraged Colonel Loyd-Lindsay and others to set up the organisation and remained in touch with its work until her death in 1910. At the Eighth International Conference of Red Cross Societies held in London in 1907, delegates created a commemorative International Nightingale Medal to be awarded to ladies distinguished in the nursing field.

redcross.org.uk/museumandarchives

The former Red Cross chairman, a long serving volunteer and a high-profile supporter of the organisation were all named in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list.

James Cochrane, who stepped down from his role the end of 2012, was appointed a CBE. Jenny Campbell from Argyll, a Red Cross volunteer for almost 60 years, was awarded a British Empire Medal. Supporter Margaret Johnson was appointed an OBE.

James was chairman of the Red Cross board of trustees, the committee that sets the organisation’s strategy and goals, for six years. In this time the Red Cross increased its income and offered services to more people in crisis.

Jenny joined the organisation as a nurse in 1954. Her volunteering has included teaching first aid, playing a key role in opening a Red Cross shop in Lochgilphead, western Scotland, and fundraising for Red Cross Week.

Margaret is on the steering committee of the Tiffany Circle, a network of women who use their skills and experience to support the Red Cross. She is chief executive of advertising company Leagas Delaney, which worked for free on aspects of the recent Red Cross awareness campaign.

Do you have a memory you would like to share with Red Cross Life readers? editor@redcross.org.uk

Pegeen Hill MBE (91) signed up as a volunteer nurse with the Red Cross in wartime Bristol. Little did she realise that this would be the start of a remarkable career spanning 70 years and several continents. I joined as a voluntary aid detachment (VAD) in 1941, working at Bristol Royal Infirmary. Sadly, just before the end of the war, my older brother was killed in Italy. I was very upset and felt I wanted to do something worthwhile. So, in 1945, I got a full-time position in France with the Red Cross, looking for British ex-internees.

A lot of these people were retired English governesses, who were interned when France was occupied. When they were released at the end of the war, they went looking for their old homes, which were no longer there. We drove all over France, searching for these people. Many were living in appalling conditions – in the fields and in sheds. Our job was to make sure they were clothed, fed and had medical and financial attention.

VE Day in ParisI remember being in Paris for VE day. It was absolutely amazing. Everyone went mad, up and down the Champs-Élysées. If you were British, people just came up and threw their arms around you. It was incredible.

After France, I was posted to Singapore Military Hospital, as a

senior welfare officer. There was still fighting going on in the jungle in the late 1940s. There were a lot of very sick servicemen and I really felt I was doing something useful. I did various social work jobs: teaching handicrafts, providing libraries and doing outings.

Korean WarIn 1953, I was asked to help with the exchange of Commonwealth prisoners of war (POWs) at a place called Mun San Ni in Korea, during the conflict. I was the only British woman at the exchange point, meeting the POWs as they came through. I wrote to every single family.

After Korea, I went to Accra in west Africa and then on to Cyprus for two years, when the troubles were on.

Welfare in TauntonIn 1968, I went to the Red Cross headquarters in Taunton, as county welfare officer. I was involved in training welfare officers and volunteers, working with social services. I also organised holidays for people with disabilities. After I retired in 1982, until a couple of years ago, I’ve been volunteering locally, doing fundraising collections, and so on.

It’s been a challenge – a lovely challenge. And I so admire the principles of the Red Cross. It’s respected by everyone, everywhere. It has been my family for so long.

Dunant: I was inspired by Florence Nightingale

BLAST FROM THE PAST

PEGEEN HILL, Bristol

Obituaries

Claire Clark BEM died on 28 December, aged 91. Claire joined the Red Cross in Langport in Somerset in 1937, as a nursing cadet, at the age of 16. Claire’s many years of service as organiser, secretary, trainer, first aider, welfare officer and fundraiser were recognised by a series of Red Cross Badges of Honour. In 1980, she was awarded the British Empire Medal. In 1979, Claire played a key role in arranging for a building for the Langport group to be purchased and converted. She was centre organiser until 1987 and continued to play an active role until 2000

Dr James Fisher died on 19 December, aged 90. He was a very active member of the community and an enthusiastic supporter of the Red Cross. He was a keen gardener and, for over 20 years, opened his beautiful gardens at Throop Mill Cottage in Bournemouth to raise funds for the Red Cross. He and his wife, Rosemary, were always welcoming hosts.

Cynthia Jolliffee died in July, aged 91. Cynthia retired to Suffolk having been centre organiser for Westminster centre, where she had been involved in training and fundraising. She undertook the organising of the Open Garden scheme in the Woodbridge area for many years. She was a Link Group member from 2001 until her death.

Helena Robinson died on 21 November, aged 65. Helena joined the Red Cross in 1977 and was involved for 35 years. Based in Bognor Regis, Helena was a valued and dedicated first aid volunteer. She gave many hours of volunteering at local events and had a special ability to put casualties at ease when they were in distress. She received a 35 year service badge and was proud to have visited the Red Cross headquarters in Geneva.

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Freedom: Pegeen meets prisoners of war in Korea, 1953

Awards New Year’s Honours for Red Cross trio

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YouTube Red Cross video on YouTube hits a million views Check out the latest quirky first aid video – featuring YouTube sensation Dan Howell – from the Life. Live It. campaign.

YouTube search: danisnotonfire choking

I am a member of the Tiffany Circle, a group of women who support the work of the British Red Cross. Along with two other members, Quenelda Avery and Anne Balfour, I recently visited KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, to see how the organisation is helping people living with HIV.

‘Always needed, always there’, is the inspiring message delivered by the South African Red Cross and one we saw in action everywhere we went; in mud huts and classrooms and among those recovering from TB or receiving anti-retroviral medication for HIV.

Who could fail to be cheered by the energetic dancing in an after-school club and the fortissimo singing of the Red Cross principles?

We also went to a football match, where most of the young players were highly skilful at kicking the ball barefoot on the sloping concrete. The absence of goalies at this match was no accident, but a metaphor for the dangers of unprotected sex, as demonstrated after the match by a splendid, unabashed woman brandishing both male and female condoms.

We returned home reassured by having witnessed the huge efforts being made to address HIV in KwaZulu-Natal, confident that while the Red Cross is ‘always needed’ it will also be ‘always there.’ Amanda Nicholson, Tiffany Circle member

2013 miles in 2013

In 2013 I plan to run the grand total of 2013 miles throughout the UK and Europe in order to push my own limits both physically and mentally, inspire others to join me and, most of all, raise awareness and money for my three chosen charities, including the British Red Cross.

I’d like to invite your readers to join my challenge. One of my aims is to inspire people – young and old, fit and not-so-fit, running geeks like me and those who don’t think they can run a mile – to join and run alongside me for part of my 2013 miles in 2013.

So please pledge a mile or two (or 100) and sign up by visiting my website 2013in2013.co.uk Daniel Furze, Stafford

Inspiring visit to South Africa

By Jonathan Whitham

Jonathan manages a team of advisers who provide advice and take bookings for first aid at work courses.

Earlier this year the British Red Cross asked over 4,000 people who book or have completed a first aid at work course what motivated them to learn life saving skills and how they felt about it afterwards.We were really pleased when the results of our Big Red Survey came in – more than 85 per cent of the people we asked said that they now feel happy about the fact that they can help people, with almost 40 per cent saying they feel generally more confident in themselves. But this got us thinking, if you can do something that makes you feel good, improves your self-esteem and means you can help colleagues, friends or family –

why wouldn’t you learn first aid?

21 NOV, 2012

What’s going on at the Red Cross right now?

twitter.com/britishredcross

Jono Hambrey This time tomorrow I will be at #redconnect setting up for the current and next generation of leaders to meet and get some training :-) Emily What a day at #redconnect a mix bewteen leadership activities, discussions, finding out about the international movement and entertainment. Sazzy I think #redconnect needs to be a day longer, there’s still too much fun to be had!

WE DON’T CHALLENGE YOU TO LEARN FIRST AID; WE CHALLENGE YOU NOT TO!

TIP Subscribing to documents To receive an email when a particular document is updated, you can subscribe to it by clicking into the document and choosing ‘Subscribe to this document’ at the top of the page.

Any questions? Email redroom@redcross.org.uk

Kathy Gough I First aid is such a good skill to have. I used to be a care assistant and there was one time I had to use CPR on one of my clients. Although in the end she sadly passed away, when the paramedics came they managed to revive her, and she spent her last few hours with her family by her bedside. I would definitely recommend learning first aid. You never know when you could need it. 5 December at 22.26

Marcia Sparks I People often use a bag of frozen veg to apply to a bump or an injury to reduce swelling, as many people don’t have the soft ice packs at home. I work in a school so we have many ice packs in the freezers ready for use, but this is a great substitute. 6 December at 9.15

Karen Brooks I I am a guide leader. All guiders have to have a current first aid certificate and we then start the girls off too! I have used mine on several occasions too! Very useful! 6 December at 21:17

Rebecca MP I Did my first aid with Red Cross, Newbury. Great fun and valuable :) 6 December at 21:18

Dick Harris I Should be taught in schools...

British Red Cross I We are currently campaigning to get first aid on the curriculum! Sign our e-petition and help us put first aid and humanitarian education on the national curriculum at redcross.org.uk/pupilcitizenlifesaver 10 December at 11:20

This year we make the headlines What will you do thisRED CROSS WEEK?

Photo: ©

Matthew

Percival (B

RC

).

The good life Support Red Cross Week 5-11 May 2013Get behind the annual fundraising extravaganza. Sign up online at redcrossweek.org.uk or contact your local fundraising at RedCrossWeek@redcross.org.uk or on 0844 412 2811.

The Red Shoe Walk 18 May 2013 Join this exclusive Red Cross Week challenge along the river Thames. Walk eight miles and cross 13 of London’s most iconic bridges while taking in the sights. A four mile challenge is also available for families. Email challenges@redcross.org.uk or call 0844 412 2877.

Great Spring Gardening Event 24 April 2013Enjoy the grounds of the Whitfield Estate near Hereford and stock up on plants and gardening essentials at this annual event, which attracts more than 100 suppliers. Visitors will also have the chance to see the estate’s beautiful private gardens. Contact Sue Burleigh on 01432 373020 or visit redcross.org.uk/gardeningevent

Jump: Make Your MoveFreefall to raise funds for the British Red Cross in one of several skydive days this year. Safely harnessed to an experienced diver, you will be free to embrace the ultimate adrenaline rush as you plummet through the clouds at 120mph.

14 April and 4 August: Yorkshire14 April: Nottinghamshire14 May: Buckinghamshire29 June: Somerset

Visit redcross.org.uk/adrenaline for more information or email challenges@redcross.org.uk

Visit RedRoom for more information about news, campaigns and events at: intranet.redcross.org.uk

Do you want Red Cross Life readers to take part in an event or promotion? Email editor@redcross.org.uk by 9 April 2013