British Red Cross

The British Red Cross Society is a prominent part of the largest impartial humanitarian organisation in the world – the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. At the heart of their work is providing help to people in crisis, both in the UK and overseas. The Red Cross is committed to helping people without discrimination, regardless of their ethnic origin, nationality or religion.

Guiding Ethos

The mission of the British Red Cross is "Caring for People in Crisis", which is the core aim of every part of the charity. In fulfilling this mission, all volunteers and staff must abide by the seven fundamental principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which are:
* Humanity
* Impartiality
* Neutrality
* Independence
* Voluntary Service
* Unity
* Universality

History

Formation

The British Red Cross was formed in 1870, just 7 years after the formation of the international movement in Switzerland. This followed the outbreak of war between France and Prussia, and a move across Europe to form similar societies. On 4th August 1870, after a public meeting, the 'British National Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded in War' was formed. It assisted in providing aid to both warring armies in the Franco-Prussian conflict and subsequent 19th century conflicts, under the protection of the Red Cross Emblem.

In 1905, 35 years after its formation, the society was reconstituted as the British Red Cross Society, and was granted its first Royal Charter in 1908 by HM King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, who became its president.

First World War

Following the start of the 'Great War' in 1914, the British Red Cross joined forces with the Order of St. John to form the Joint War committee. They pooled resources and formed Voluntary Aid Detachments (or VADs) with members trained in First Aid, Nursing, Cookery, Hygiene and Sanitation. These detachments all worked under the protection of the Red Cross, working in hospitals, rest stations, work parties and supply centres.

The Joint War committee also provided assistance at the front line, supplying the first motorised ambulances to the battlefields, which were significantly more efficient then the horse drawn ambulances they replaced.

The Joint War Committee was also active in setting up centres for recording the wounded and missing. Red Cross volunteers searched towns, villages and hospitals where fighting had occurred, noting names of the missing, the injured and the dead. This formed the basis of the international Message and Tracing service, still running today.

Inter-war years

In 1919, after the cessation of hostilities, the League of the Red Cross (now the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies) was formed, and the role of national societies increased, with a shift of emphasis from wartime relief to focusing on "the improvement of health, the prevention of disease and mitigation of suffering throughout the world".

In 1921, the British Red Cross set up the world's first Blood Transfusion service, helping to keep pace with medical advances which required blood, but had no facilities to store it. The British Red Cross stayed involved with blood transfusion past the formation of the National Blood Service and it remained an ancillary role until 1987.

The British Red Cross was instrumental in starting overseas societies through the Empire and Commonwealth, most of which are now independent national societies.

In 1924, the British Red Cross started its youth movement, helping to promote its values to a younger generation.

econd World War

After the declaration of war in 1939, the British Red Cross once again joined with St. John to form the Joint War Organisation, again affording the St. John volunteers protection under the Red Cross emblem.

The organisation once again worked in hospitals, care home, nurseries, ambulance units, rest stations and more, much of which was funded by the Duke of Gloucester's Red Cross and St John appeal, which had raised over £54 million by 1946.

The Red Cross also famously arranged parcels for prisoners of war, following the provisions of the third Geneva convention in 1929, which laid out strict rules for the treatment of PoWs. The Joint War Organisation sent standard food parcels, invalid food parcels, medical supplies, educational books and recreational materials to prisoners of war worldwide. During the conflict, over 20 million standard food parcels were sent.

Post war years

The immediate priorities for the British Red Cross following the war, were the huge number of displaced civilians caused by forced migration during the war. The Red Cross provided much relief for these people, including basic supplies, and helping to reunite people through the Messaging and Tracing Service. This work led to the provisions in the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention to protect civilians caught up in war.

Since then, the British Red Cross has provided relief to people worldwide, including during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, in Vietnam in 1976, Famine in Africa in the 1980s and the Colombia Earthquake of 1999. Whilst the society no longer sends its volunteers abroad, it is a leading contributor of delegates to the international red cross pool of emergency relief workers.

In the UK, the society has been active at many major disasters, from the coal tip slide at Aberfan in 1966, the Lockerbie air disaster in 1988 to the London bombings in 2005, providing support on all levels, from front line medical provision, to running helplines for worried relatives and long term emotional care for the victims.

In July 2008, the society celebrated the 100th anniversary of the granting of the Royal Charter with a garden party at Buckingham Palace. The party was hosted by HRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.

tatus and Structure

The British Red Cross is recognised by the UK Government as one of three Voluntary Aid Societies, the other two being St John Ambulance and St Andrew's Ambulance Association. The British Red Cross is divided into four territories [Red Cross Website www.redcross.org.uk] , then into operational areas, and then further into 'branches', which in most cases represent an administrative county.
Services provided by the British Red Cross are adapted, depending on the circumstances of the area.

Activities

The British Red Cross, as with all IFRC member societies, operate an Emergency Response service, which supports the statutory Emergency services in times of crisis, in accordance with the duty of Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies to be auxiliaries in the humanitarian services of their governments.

The British Red Cross provides a wide range of services to assist the emergency services and statutory authorities, ranging from first aid support and distribution of aid during a crisis to managing a disaster appeal scheme and providing telephone support lines in its aftermath. All services of the British Red Cross can be utilised for the emergency response service, as the situation demands. For example, the thereaputic care service can provide support at a rest centre for survivors, while Ambulances can assist the NHS in caring for the injured.

The emergency response service has been present at most types of major emergency such as the London bombings, rail crashes, fires, and floods. The British Red Cross operate this service throughout the UK, available 24 hours a day and, contrary to popular opinion, does not send its volunteers abroad, as overseas disasters will be dealt with by the society in the country affected.

In addition to this core service, the British Red Cross operates in other areas, both at home and abroad as part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to help people in crisis:

First Aid and Ambulance Provision

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the largest provider of first aid in the world. The British Red Cross is possibly most recognised in the UK for its work as a leading provider of first aid at public events across the UK. Thousands of uniformed volunteers give care to the injured at events of all sizes including Premiership football games, concerts and State events.

The training undertaken by First Aid Service volunteers varies, and advanced training is available to those volunteers who wish to undertake it, which includes rising to the level of Ambulance Crew. These ambulance crews undergo national standard training and examination and are then qualified to offer an advanced level of care to sick and injured patients. The training is of a sufficiently high standard, that in many areas, along with the other main medical service provider, St. John Ambulance, British Red Cross ambulance crews work on behalf of the NHS Ambulance Service during particularly busy times or whenever requested, responding to 999 calls from members of the public.

First Aid Training

The British Red Cross is one of the leading providers of first aid training in the United Kingdom. It trains people both on a community and commercial basis. The commercial training teams run nationally recognised First aid courses specifically designed to provide skills for use at work. The British Red Cross have been running these courses for 25 years and over 120,000 people are trained each year. Courses range from a basic Emergency Life Support to a four-day First Aid at Work (FAW) course recognised by the Health and Safety Executive.

On a community basis, the British Red Cross also is well known as providing many first aid courses across the country to members of the public, as well as reaching out to schools, community groups and minority groups. One of the projects of the British Red Cross is "Inclusive First Aid", which seeks to provide training to those who would not otherwise get the oppurtunity to undertake such training, such as people with disabilities.

First aid training programmes delivered by the Red Cross are renowned for giving participants both the skills and confidence to use what they have learnt, with a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical sessions.

Fire and Emergency Support

Formerly known as Fire Victim Support, this service is one of the more recent to be started by the British Red Cross. Covering most, but not yet all, of the UK, the British Red Cross provide assistance at the request of the local Fire and Rescue Service to those in the immediate aftermath of emergencies such as a house fire or road traffic accident. Typically a team of two volunteers with a customized vehicle will respond to victims and provide them with shelter, food, first aid, clothing, toiletries, washing facilities and moral support. Volunteers will assist with the process of dealing with local authority housing departments or insurance companies to enable rehousing.

In addition, these teams are frequently called out to major incidents to provide support to the firefighters and other emergency services, from simply making refreshments available, to providing a confidential listening service for those members of the emergency services traumatised by what they have just seen.

Humanitarian Education

This service provides a way of learning about and understanding the world - best thought of as a form of citizenship education. It is not religious or political, but is centrally concerned with our shared humanity. At the core of humanitarian action and thinking is a desire to contribute to saving lives and reducing suffering. Humanitarian education invites exploration of those actions and thoughts. Humanitarian Education helps students examine what motivates people, including themselves, and extends to other societies, times and cultures. It explores the wider issues, sometimes surprisingly complex, that arise when people help each other.

The British Red Cross provides [http://www.redcross.org.uk/education educational resources for teachers] and trained peer education volunteers. In September 2008 [cite web|publisher=BBC News|title=Internet game for victims of war|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7638581.stm] the British Red Cross launched an alternate reality game called [http://www.tracesofhope.com Traces of Hope] to help educate people about the work the Red Cross does in conflict areas and the effect war has on civilians.

Health and Social Care

Medical Loan
The British Red Cross offers a medical loan service from many of its centres (or in some cases even a mobile service), which provides items to improve people's lives, from wheelchairs and crutches to tap extensions for the mobility impaired. This service is run by volunteers, who give up some time each week to man the numerous loan stores around the country. There are suggested donation levels for each of the items, however the service is free, and nobody is required to pay for services.

The equipment is loaned both over the short and long term, from one day to the rest of a person's life. All donations which are collected, go back in to helping others in similar situations.

Skin Camouflage
The British Red Cross also provide skin camouflage creams and training for people with skin deformities. These creams are colour matched by the British Red Cross and later available, on prescription, from the NHS. The creams are designed to cover burns, scars and other skin irregularities which may cause discrimination in society, including scars caused by self-harm. This service has been used by Inside and out and has proven effective in the majority of cases.

Care in the Home
The British Red Cross, in some areas, provides short-term care and support for people recently returned from hospital, or recently having suffered an injury which otherwise would result in a hospital or care facility admission. Volunteers enter peoples' homes and help them with the every day tasks which would otherwise be impossible or pose difficulty for them, such as shoppong and getting prescriptions, helping them maintain their independence and dignity, while preparing them for living independently and offering companionship.

While referrals for this service can come from health and social care professionals, people can also self-refer.

Therapeutic care
British Red Cross volunteers in the Theraputic Care Service are also active in hospitals and other care settings, such as care homes, where they enter and give patients a therapeutic massage of the head, neck, shoulders and hands through the patient's clothing, to help relax them, particularly at stressful times, and encourage a sense of wellbeing. Referrals for this service usually come from healthcare profesionals, but people can self-refer, as the service can also be provided at community meeting places and homes.

Transport Service
The British Red Cross provides a number of transport schemes to get people with limited access to transport, either with their own car or public transport, from place to place. Services can be provided by car or mimibus, with an escort if appropriate, in order to help people lead a normal life, such as journeys for medical appointments and to shops. This includes in some areas 'Dial-a-Ride' schemes, where elderly or disabled people can phone and are transported by specially adapted minibus door to door.

In addition, the British Red Cross also provides, in some areas, ambulance transport, either seated or stretcher, between places of treatment, or for admissions and discharges of patients at hospital. This is operated by the trained ambulance crews also used for emergency ambulance provision.

Refugee Services

Since 1989, the British Red cross has provided a range of services to refugees, including managing a number of refugee reception centres nationwide. The work includes providing refugee orientation services and ensuring that life essentials, such as shelter and food are provided for. In cases of destitution, the British Red Cross can provide short-term emergency help, and advice on accessing other services. A peer befriending service also exists to provide help to vulnerable refugees, such as young people and women. The British Red Cross can also assist in cases of large-scale arrivals to the United Kingdom.

As of September 2008 the British Red Cross is a member of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE).

International Tracing and Messaging Service

This is another specilised international service, operated by the majority of national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies worldwide. Started to help the refugees of war, this service now extends to any person, who has lost touch with family through war or disaster. The global Red Cross and Red Crescent network uses local volunteers to find relations, put them back in touch, or simply pass messages.

The British Red Cross also provides this service to those seperated by the Second World War.

International Disaster Relief

Since the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is worldwide, there are volunteers in the nation affected that can provide help in disaster situations. However, the British Red Cross, in common with other national societies, sends paid personnel abroad, called "delegates", who have specialised skills such as in logistics, to assist the agencies in the aftermath of a major international disaster. This is in addition to resources the British Red Cross can provide, in co-operation with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

The British Red Cross also provides assistance in recovery after the immediate post-disaster situation, helping prepare communities for future emergencies and facilitating long-term development.

As the largest charity of its type, it is also part of the UK Disasters Emergency Committee, which is a group of large charities who fund raise for major disasters, such as the Boxing day tsunami

Health and Care Abroad

The British Red Cross works closely with other Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to improve the health and care situation of vulnerable communities abroad.

The British Red Cross has been supporting HIV work internationally since the mid-1980s, for example in China, South Africa and Ethiopia. The charity helps combat Tuberculosis in Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, including supporitng programmes involved in raising awareness and supporting those affected in their homes. Furthermore, it supports water and sanitation activities in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Cambodia, by providing safer drinking water and sanitation facilities and educating populations.

The British Red Cross also supports programmes assisting healthcare in conflict areas, such as Iraq and Sudan.

HIV awareness

The British Red Cross supports the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement's mission to fight the spread of HIV and AIDS worldwide. [cite web|publisher=British Red Cross|title=HIV - Introduction|accessdate=2008-02-21|url=http://www.redcross.org.uk/hiv] The society works with groups of young people to fight discrimination and stigma as well as reducing complacency about catching the disease. On World AIDS Day (December 1st) 2007, the society launched an on-line campaign called "HIV: What's the story?" to target young people in the UK and overseas. [cite web|publisher=British Red Cross|title=HIV: What's the Story?|url=http://www.redcrosshiv.org] The campaign also makes extensive use of social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo.

Fundraising

As a charity, the British Red Cross relies heavily on voluntary contributions from members of the public and organisations, in order to carry out its work. In addition, it does also make money from its commercial services, including First Aid Training (for the workplace), First aid provision at events and providing auxiliary crews to the ambulance services.

Whilst personal donations are important, the scale of corporate donations can make a huge difference to the society, and initiatives such as being the Tesco charity of the year in 2007 make large contributions to central funds.

Every year, many events are held, including sponsored bike rides, walks and even skydives. Red Cross Appeal Week (formerly known as Red Cross Flag Week), is held annually in May, to coincide with the birthday of Red Cross founder, Henry Dunant. This is a week where staff and volunteers are asked to donate two hours to run street and private premises collections.

Celebrity links

In order to help boost support for the cause, the Red Cross has a number of celebrity ambassadors which include Michael Buerk, James McAvoy, David Bull, Josie D'Arby, Nancy Dell'Olio, Konnie Huq, Craig Gannon and Dougray Scott.

British Red Cross Museum

The British Red Cross runs a museum containing a variety of materials from its beginnings in 1870 to its modern activities. The collections include posters, photographs, badges worn by Society members, medals awarded to Society members, medical equipment and fundraising materials. The museum and archive collection are available to view by appointment only. [cite web|url=http://www.redcross.org.uk/standard.asp?id=2623|title=British Red Cross Museum website] ]

ee also

*List of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

References

External links

* [http://www.redcross.org.uk Official website]
*UK charity|220949|British Red Cross Society
* [http://www.redcross.org.uk/yourarea Red Cross near you]
* [http://www.redcross.org.uk/education Resources for teachers and other educators]
* [http://www.redcrossfirstaidtraining.co.uk/ British Red Cross first aid training for the workplace]
* [http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/registeredcharities/showcharity.asp?remchar=&chyno=220949 Registered Charity No. 220949]