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What does the British Red Cross represent to you?

By Beau Damen-Young
May 13, 2009 at 2:39 pm

If you had asked me that same question three years ago I would have replied with something like this,,,,,,,

“The Red Cross works exclusively overseas in areas of conflict and disaster handing out food packs to hoards of starving people from little, white, beaten down Land Rovers.” I probably would have also added that I believed the Red Cross was a religious organisation – you know, with the cross as their emblem.

Well I would have been partially right. The Red Cross does respond to disasters and conflicts all over the world, and yes they do help people caught up in them with the basics they need like food, shelter and clean water, and finally yes sometimes they do drive round in Land Rovers (although probably best not to describe them as beaten down – I expect they are very proud of them, like I am with our wheelchairs). I don’t know, however, whether it just me or whether you thought it too, but I was wrong on the old religion front. The Red Cross is completely impartial and this, among its other seven principles, it is one of our best, in my opinion.

I had never worked before I joined the Red Cross. I left secondary school at fourteen so had no formal qualifications to my name. I had just moved to Gloucester from Dorset when I was ‘referred’ to the Red Cross by the occupational therapist.

I suffered with an eating disorder for most of my adolescence and didn’t have much confidence or experience of team-working as a result. I expected that the group of people I would be working with would have little if any patience or understanding of the disorder, or me, in fact, it was near enough the opposite. Other than (I still really giggle now) hiding any biscuits before I came in (they shared that little nugget of info with me when they knew me better) they treated completely normally and more than anything that made me feel a part of the ‘family’ there.

The medical equipment service users stories of their journeys to needing their equipment were both amazingly adventurous and heartbreakingly sad, and I was soon inspired and proud to be a part of helping them regain some independence to achieve things we can so easily take for granted.

Roll on two-and-a-half years and I now coordinate the service in Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire and completely free of any ‘disorder’. Without the help, belief and support I received from all of my team, I wouldn’t be sat here now writing this. It’s not only my colleagues, the hundreds of people the service helps and the opportunities I have been given working for the Red Cross that I am so passionate about; it’s being a part of the British Red Cross itself. The work that they do is just awe-inspiring, both here and abroad. It never ceases to amaze me how multi-faceted the Red Cross is able to be thanks to the skills they find and utilise in each and every one of their members.

I suppose the purpose of this blog has been to highlight that anyone from almost any background can join the Red Cross and they have the ability to treat everyone that enters their door as an individual, which is rare in such a huge organization and results in such a family feel to the charity. For some people, the Red Cross means safety in disaster; for some it means community and a sense of belonging. For me it means all the above but it also means a second chance that I can grab with both hands, and it could mean the same to you too.

So my advice to you? If you want to volunteer don’t think twice, I am sure you won’t regret it.

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Tags: care products, mobility, principles, volunteer

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 13th, 2009 at 2:39 pm and is filed under Health and social care. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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