Red Cross Blogs

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Working for free is officially cool.  So cool in fact, some people will shell out thousands to secure unpaid positions for their children, according to a recent Times article .

I’m not sure about the ethics of this but it’s what happened at a recent charity auction, organised by Pilotlight, where unpaid work experience at Harvey Nichols went for an eye-popping £2,500 and at Condé Nast, for £3,000. Other opportunities proved similarly popular..and expensive.

Whatever your view, it’s evidence that people recognise how valuable these kinds of opportunities are. If you are prepared to work for free you can gain experience, skills and contacts, and give yourself an edge in this increasingly brutal job market.

The good news is the many internships and volunteering opportunities available at the Red Cross won’t cost you a dime, just a bit of your time and energy.

And judging by a recent event where I met a group of happy Red Cross interns, who were brimming with enthusiasm and positivity about the whole experience, it’s an investment you’ll enjoy making.

Here’s what some of them said about their time at the Red Cross:

“I was working closely with the media relations officer for the North, as well as the wider communications team. With Refugee Week looming, I was thrown in the deep end, tailoring and issuing press releases to the whole of the North.

Although a challenge to begin with, I am so glad I was given such a high level of responsibility. I have also made some great new friends; interns and colleagues. I was so sad to leave! Overall, I’d say the whole experience has been more valuable than my degree, and I would recommend it highly to anyone.”

Catherine Bates
Media relations

“I feel my main achievements have been gaining an understanding of the real lives of refugees and asylum seekers in the UK before and after they arrive. I also am proud of managing my own trust portfolio independently. I have been allowed a lot of freedom in my internship which has given me great confidence in my own communication skills and work.

The skills I have learned and experience I have gained at the Red Cross have directly led to my position within Oxfam as supporter relations assistant.”

Beth Knowles
Trust fundraising for refugee services

“The market research project I have been working on has been focused on the retail arm of the Red Cross (charity shops). Through field research including undertaking interviews in several locations the aims were to understand the Red Cross customer experience and to assess the awareness of local Red Cross services by both Red Cross customers and non-customers.

My internship has reinforced my desire to work in the charity sector.”

Tolu Williams
Market research

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Tags: internships, volunteering, volunteers, work experience

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If someone gashed their arm, I’m guessing you probably wouldn’t stuff jam into the wound. And yet every year, lots of people apply butter – yes, that yellow creamy stuff you put on bread – onto burn injuries.

In terms of bonkers first aid behaviour, it’s right up there with blood-letting and ducking someone to see if they’re infected by evil spirits. And yet, incredibly, it’s still quite a popular first aid myth.

You know when you lavish the Lurpak on a toasted crumpet and all the butter bubbles and melts and starts seeping in? Well, that’s exactly what happens when you do the same to someone’s skin. It can be really damaging – and excruciating to get off again (especially if they’re also trying to spoon out all that jam from your gashed arm).

Office worker Michael Brown recently helped a workmate who had scalded her arm with piping hot tea. Thanks to his Red Cross training at work, he knew exactly what to do: run her arm under cold running water then cover the affected area to prevent infection. However, he was slightly taken aback by how helpless – even clueless – most people around him seemed.

He recalled: “It was alarming that most of my colleagues, who were understandably distressed, wanted to soak her arm in warm water [which would not cool the injury as required] and didn’t want the burn to be covered.”

When the woman was later treated for a second degree burn at hospital, the doctors said Michael’s speedy first aid actions had really helped, but without him things could easily have gone the other way.

As he put it: “This is another classic example of people thinking they should do the opposite of what should actually be done.”

Incidentally, while researching this blog I came across a website about medieval first aid. It makes for scary reading, as the following extract shows: “Some cures – such as one that involved bathing in water in which blind puppies had been boiled to death – defy modern explanation.” Ouch.

Unsurprisingly, it concludes: “Medieval medicine had a low success rate.”

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Tags: burns, emergency response, First aid, first aid tips, first aid training, red cross, volunteer, volunteering

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Woohoooooo would have believed it? Red Cross volunteers were recently put on standby at the Liverpool Playhouse Theatre when it was feared a super-scary show might cause people to take a funny turn.

Ghost Stories, which ‘contains moments of extreme shock and tension’, had them screaming in the aisles so much the Red Cross was brought in as a precaution. Suddenly, punters expecting to encounter things that go bump in the night instead found themselves bumping into volunteers carrying first aid kits and wearing bright yellow, hi-vis vests – in itself not altogether a calming sight.

Hilariously, having all those first aiders stomping around actually spooked some theatregoers even more. Ruth Brooke told the Liverpool Echo: “I asked the lady beside me what she was doing in uniform. She told me she’d been placed in the audience in case anybody needed medical treatment as the show was quite frightening.

“Her saying that actually made me feel more nervous and apprehensive.” Er, quite.

Still, having the volunteers there did mean quick help would be at hand if anyone needed resuscitation, shock or heart attack treatment.

The theatre’s spokesman happily stirred up the paranoia even further, saying: “We strongly advised those of a nervous disposition to think very seriously before attending this show, and felt it appropriate to enlist the aid of the Red Cross during the first few performances.”

Whether he also thought it had been a great wheeze to drum up some free publicity for the show, he didn’t say.

But it all shows that Red Cross volunteers are undaunted by any request. Wherever they think there may be a reasonable chance of people facing danger, they’ll step in. Come rain, snow, crowds, floods – and even, it now turns out, ghosts – you can always count on them.

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Tags: emergency response, First aid, first aid tips, first aid training, volunteer, volunteering, volunteers

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I vividly remember the very first person I helped as a first aid volunteer.

Summer 2007, I’d only just joined the British Red Cross at the sprightly age of 15. After several days of training, I was attending my first event as a fully qualified Red Cross volunteer. Our team was providing medical cover for a large martial arts grading event.

Although I’d passed my first aid course with flying colours, I was nervous before the event began. There’s quite a difference between the classroom and the real thing! Two experienced adult volunteers took me under their wing and I would be working with them for the day.

Hundreds of spectators had turned out to watch their family and friends compete. Wearing a bright yellow jacket, with a big sign saying “first aid” is not the best way to appear inconspicuous.

At our first aid post, a few people trickled in. Most wanted blisters dressed, or suspected sprains/strains looked at. Some just wanted a plaster. “Easy peasy” I thought.

Rosie was taking part in the under-16s category. This was supposed to be non-contact, and she was wearing full protective clothing just in case. All these precautions didn’t help however, when her opponent misjudged a move and delivered a vicious blow to her head.

“Guys, we need some help over here!” Suddenly, that yellow jacket seemed even more conspicuous.

Over we went, all three of us carrying various bits of kit. Rosie was lying prone on the ground, as we approached we could see she was conscious. Brian, my colleague took the lead.

“Hey there, stay nice and still for me, Chris here is just going to hold your head. Don’t worry, it’s just a precaution”

I obliged, painfully aware that hundreds of sets of eyes were following our every move. However I soon forgot all about this as I focussed on the task at hand.

Rosie was complaining of pain in her neck, and she had some pins and needles in her hands. These are all classic signs of a possible spinal injury. Swiftly, Brian established there were no other injuries and an ambulance was called. I was still holding her head and doing my best to reassure her.

The paramedics arrived and working as a team we transferred Rosie carefully into the ambulance for a trip to hospital. Then, as quickly as it had begun, it was back to the blisters and plasters in the first aid post.

Three years on and I’ve met many more people like Rosie – in need of help. I’ve moved on from being a trainee to a trainer, from being mentored to mentoring, from a novice first aider to being part of an emergency ambulance crew.

When a call comes in, that slight twinge of nervousness is still there. However, so is the feeling of making a difference, being there during a distressing and painful moment in someone’s life.

Making a simple gesture of humanity.

Do you know what the best part is?

You can too. Get involved today.

All names, ages and other details have been changed to protect patient confidentiality and privacy.

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Apparently, when they talk about ‘dangerous dogs’ in America, they’re having a completely different conversation.

In a blaze of publicity, the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a policy statement announcing that the tubular-shaped hot dog can present a ‘major choking hazard’ for young children. You don’t say.

Not content with stating the obvious and dissing the dog, the AAP has also put many other foods – including peanuts, whole grapes, raw carrots and apples – in the dock as ‘high-risk foods’ for unsupervised children.

Their suggestion is to ‘redesign’ the hot dog so it will be less likely to present a danger. However, this has met with short shrift from Janet Riley, President of the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. (And how cool a job title is that? It’s only a short skip away from Chief of Cheese Waffles or Emperor of Doughnuts.)

Barely hiding her contempt, chipolata champion Janet retorted: “As a mother who fed my own toddlers cylindrical foods – like grapes, bananas, hot dogs and carrots – I ‘redesigned’ them in my kitchen by cutting them with a paring knife until my children were old enough to manage on their own.”

But all this ire and sausage-flinging points towards a very sombre fact: thousands of parents and carers wouldn’t have a clue what to do if a young child or baby started choking. In such a scenario, it’s only a matter of minutes before permanent brain damage and death occur – and too many children die each year in these circumstances.

However, the good news is that it’s very easy to get clued up on what to do. Visit our choking tips webpage or special children’s first aid website – or, even better, go the whole hog and sign up for a first aid training course. And once you done that, treat yourself to a hot dog. But be careful.

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Tags: emergency response, First aid, first aid tips, first aid training, red cross

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People can have a heart attack anywhere – and that’s why you’ll find defibrillators in all kinds of publicly used venues these days: shopping malls, sports clubs, brothels. Hang on, brothels?

Well, yes. In Switzerland, sex workers at several brothels are being trained to use defibrillators in order to prevent clients with heart problems dying on them. The move follows a recent spate of incidents – some fatal – where mainly elderly customers found the services on offer a little too demanding.

Heart attacks have now claimed several customers in the Lugano area, and local health experts are backing the move to stock defibrillators in sex clubs and brothels. And as one brothel owner put it: “Having customers die on us isn’t exactly good publicity.”

Modern defibrillators are relatively quick and easy for the lay person to use, and in an emergency can mean the difference between life and death. Having said that, there’s nothing better than knowing what to do if someone has a heart attack.

As a Red Cross writer, I come across literally scores of stories every year where someone having just a little first aid knowledge ends up saving someone’s life. So why not sign up for a first aid course or even just get some tips online? One day you might be might glad you did.

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Tags: emergency response, First aid, first aid tips, first aid training

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It was like an episode of Soldier, Soldier and Casualty melded into one. A group of young army cadets in Leek recently transformed into uber-medics when one of their number was hit by a car.

As teenager Kirsty Alcock  lay howling on the floor with a car-tyre track over her right foot, her five friends sprang into action. They took off her shoes, kept her calm, called for an ambulance, ran for blankets, directed traffic and even scribbled down notes at the scene.

But how did our intrepid heroes manage to respond so efficiently and professionally? Easy: they’d all taken a Red Cross first aid course at school just weeks earlier. As one of the young cadets, Tim (15) put it: “Our first aid training kicked in immediately. We just all seemed to know what to do.”

A new government Bill will hopefully make it law for schools to teach first aid as part of the national curriculum. It will next be debated by MPs on 23 February – and your support can help make it happen.

Want to help make first aid in schools a reality? It only takes a minute – here’s what you do.

1. Visit the WriteToThem website and enter your postcode to find your local MP.
2. Click on your local Member of Parliament.
3. Fill in your personal details, then paste the pre-written text (provided below) into the message box.
4. Email your MP.

Re: Children, Schools and Families Bill 2009

I am writing to you regarding the Children, Schools and Families Bill as it contains a proposal to make first aid training – within PSHE – a statutory part of the national curriculum.

First aid saves lives, reduces the impact of serious injury and can play a significant role in reducing the burden on the healthcare system. It should play a central role in any preventative health education programme. This is particularly pressing as more than half of the 5.5 million attendees at accident and emergency departments could have benefited from first aid.

For example, more than 100 young people (aged under 15) attend accident and emergency departments every day in the UK with a scald or burn injury. Such injuries are quite easy to treat and benefit greatly from imediate attention, but sadly most people lack the necessary basic skills.

The importance of basic first aid training makes the inclusion of statutory first aid training in the bill a welcome step forward. I am aware that there is a small window of opportunity for this Bill to become law before an expected General Election. As such I would urge you to support the Bill in the upcoming report stage on the 23 February.

Yours sincerely,

(Insert your name)

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Tags: First aid, first aid tips, first aid training, red cross, volunteer, volunteering, young people

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Forget about Brad Pitt – move over, Megan Fox. According to our very scientific research*, it appears the key to having a really successful and sizzling Valentine’s Day is getting your paws on a Red Cross volunteer. Rawwr!

Not convinced? Then just take a look at the following nuggets of evidence, which clearly demonstrate how having a Red Cross volunteer as the special man or woman in your life will unfailingly spell out romantic bliss:

Good with money
With half the country drowning in debt and maxed-out credit cards, Red Cross fundraising volunteers regularly start a day with nothing in their pockets, then – by virtue of shaking a bucket or bathing in baked beans – end up with hundreds of pounds.

Fabulous mouth to mouth
Lots of people rate themselves as good kissers, but how many other people do you know who would spend hours practising on a plastic dummy to perfect their technique?

Magical massage
Pity the masses who, asking their partners for a nice romantic Valentine massage, either get tickled to distraction or painfully kneaded like a human-sized piece of bread dough. Therapeutic care volunteers are carefully trained to provide the perfect soothing massage – and those pesky keep-clothes-on and no-baby-oil rules don’t apply in a domestic setting.

Sensible shoppers
Many men fear their partner’s return from the clothes shops, anticipating the filled bags and empty purse. Not so the lucky chap who lands a Red Cross retail volunteer. Despite helping to raise millions each year, she knows all about value and spotting a bargain – and can be trusted not to trouble the haute couture boutiques too regularly.

Not couch potatoes
Many women resent being sports widows, silently fuming while their loved one sprawls on the sofa scratching his backside and watching hours of football on the telly. However, event first aid volunteers generally get their sports fix by actually attending the fixtures. And that means their spouse gets the sofa, telly and fridge contents all to themselves for a relaxing afternoon. Cheers!

Brilliant detectives
The one fly in the ointment, unfortunately. No matter how hard you might try to lose your parents-in-law, any half-decent Red Cross volunteer with links to the tracing and message service will always be able to find them again.

So, we hope you agree, on the whole the case is irrefutable. Brad can keep his washboard stomach muscles and Megan is welcome to her, ahem, assets. If you want a truly special Valentine’s Day, make sure you spend it with a Red Cross volunteer.

*We asked four people in the office

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Tags: charity shops, First aid, first aid training, fundraising, Health and social care, international tracing and message service, volunteer, volunteering

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On Valentine’s Day, first aid might not be at the forefront of your mind, but why not find out how you could mend a broken heart? Basic first aid knowledge could help you save a loved one and give them the best present they have ever had.

Just a small amount of know-how could make a huge difference…

How to mend a broken heart.

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Tags: First aid, first aid tips, podcast

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The UK’s extended cold snap has provided the perfect excuse to go home, sink into the sofa and get glued to some cockle-warming telly.

I was quite excited about the new series of Dancing on Ice. It’s great to see celebrities performing out of their comfort zone. Of course, triple toe loops and over-the-top costumes aside, skating is also associated with tumbles.

Heather Mills, one of the celebrities involved, was reeling off the injuries she’d incurred from her training a few weeks back: she’s snapped one rib, fractured another, torn muscles in her shoulder and injured her pelvis. It’s definitely not a sport for the faint-hearted.

At least one of her fellow skaters – a recently qualified first aider – is close at hand should contestants take a tumble.  Daniel Whiston, a professional ice skater currently wowing the crowds in the hit ITV series, is Hayley Tamaddon’s partner. And she’s in safe hands as he completed a day-long Red Cross basic first aid course recently.

He told us: “As a coach as well as a skater, it’s really important that I’m able to help people if they hurt themselves. I really enjoyed the course and will definitely be renewing my certificate when it expires.”

Even if you don’t plan on strapping some skates on any time soon, you can learn vital first aid skills from our online first aid resources and practical courses.

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Tags: celebrities, Daniel Whiston, First aid, first aid courses

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