Red Cross Blogs

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The British Red Cross turns 140 years young this summer, and there’s at least one woman who’s been volunteering with us for half that time. Talk about dedication!

Listen to Judy Stokes share her incredible memories – from war-time nursing to teaching young people first aid.

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Tags: event first aid, First aid, history, Second World War, volunteer

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In these tough economic times, job seekers need to make themselves stand out from the crowd. Listen to a short podcast about how volunteering can give you the wow-factor.

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Tags: charity jobs, Podcasts, volunteer, volunteer week

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The Cumbrian floods last November had a devastating effect on hundreds of lives. Six months on, three families recall their darkest hours and discuss how the Red Cross has been helping them ever since. Mother-of-two Lynne Swain, pensioners Mary and Harold Todhunter and local shop owner Catherine Bell share their stories.

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Tags: Cumbria floods, emergency response, floods, podcast

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When Germany occupied the Channel Islands during the Second World War, islanders found their lines of communication almost completely severed from relatives in the UK. For a time, they were entirely cut off from the food supplies they relied on.

Fortunately, the Red Cross ship SS Vega sailed to the rescue – bringing much-needed relief and comfort supplies – and Red Cross messages brought news from family. Listen as islanders remember those troubling times.

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And here are some photos from our archives.

Read about how the Red Cross helped the occupied Channel Islands.

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Tags: Channel Islands, conflict, history, Podcasts, Second World War

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If you turn to 8 May in your diary and take a look at the small print – you know the bit that says things like Easter Monday and my favourite, British Summer Time begins – you might be surprised to see that on that date it says World Red Cross Day. Yes, it’s true – we have our very own day!

And not content with a day, the British Red Cross celebrates for the entire week surrounding it (well wouldn’t you, if you had your own day?).

We call it Red Cross Appeal Week and it’s the biggest week in the Red Cross fundraising calendar – this year running from 2-8 May.

From selling cakes to abseiling from bridges, thousands of people across the UK raise hundreds of thousands of pounds (£935,000 last year) throughout the week to fund our work around the world.

And this year we’ve taken things up a notch and launched an extra-special Appeal Week music video and song. The song – written exclusively for the Appeal by up-and-coming duo Reid and Stanners – takes the same title as this year’s theme: “With a little help from you” – and it’s pretty great if we may say so ourselves.

We want you to share the video with as many people as possible to spread the word about our work and help make this an Appeal Week to remember – so please start tweeting and sharing to your heart’s content.

And don’t forget to start making your own fundraising preparations for the week – you can check out our Appeal Week pages for all the tips and advice you need.

Remember, there are only two weeks to go so get those thinking caps on now! If you’ve already got your RCAW plans in place, let us know in the comments below.

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Tags: rcaw, Red Cross Appeal Week

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Imagine fleeing your country, your family, and everything you know because your life is in danger. Several years ago, Jennifer suffered horrific violence and came to the UK seeking asylum. She talks about her experiences, and how the Red Cross’ refugee services have helped her find her way in a new country.

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Tags: asylum seekers, Podcasts, refugee services, refugees

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Red Cross emergency volunteers are specially trained to act fast and save lives in a crisis situation. However, it’s not all about blue lights and ambulances. Emergencies come in all shapes and sizes and sometimes an altogether different approach is called for. In this podcast, volunteers Matt Smith and Louise Elstow describe how they used their skills and training to deal with two very different situations.

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Tags: emergency response, ERU podcasts

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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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Okay so toilets may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to life-saving equipment, but think again. Without decent sanitation facilities, diseases like cholera can spread like wild fire and as was seen in the Zimbabwe crisis last year – thousands of people can die as a result.

In an article on Reuters AlertNet, the UN reports that 7,000 latrines are urgently needed in Haiti to help prevent the spread of disease.

My colleague, Sharon Reader, is currently in Port-au-Prince with our sanitation emergency response unit. Listen in as I speak to her and find out how it’s all going.

Image © Joe Lowry/IFRC

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Tags: emergency response, emergency response unit, ERU, Haiti, Haiti earthquake, haiti earthquake appeal, latrines, sanitation, toilets, video, water and sanitation

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We teach people life-saving first aid skills in the hope that your community will be able to withstand an emergency or crisis – whether that’s your sister, your best friend, a neighbour, or a stranger.

Our volunteers also provide vital first aid cover at many local events such as football matches, festivals and exhibitions.

Could you help someone in need?

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Image © Anthony Upton/British Red Cross

Transcript:

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Tags: event first aid, first aid course, volunteer

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