The British Red Cross: our unsung heroes

Adam has been a Red Cross volunteer for more than 10 years. In that time he’s helped hundreds of people who have had their lives affected by crisis. And my goodness, does he have some tales to tell. I caught up with him for a chat about the work he does and to find out how Adam (along with a team of  specially trained emergency response volunteers and over 4,000 community reserve volunteers) puts kindness into action to help others every single day. Here are some of the things I found out...

What the Red Cross does

I’ll admit that the work done by the Red Cross was a bit of a mystery to me before Adam joined the Pod team. I knew they helped people of course, and that they were an organisation made up primarily of volunteers, but that’s pretty much all I knew. So it’s been fascinating to learn a little bit more about this amazing charity, and especially about the work they do here in the West Midlands, where Pod is based.

It’s probably fair to say that my lack of previous Red Cross knowledge has been down to luck. You see, this is a charity that steps in whenever there are people affected by crisis. They will help anyone, anywhere in the UK and across the world to get the support they need whenever crisis strikes.

So in 2020, the Red Cross has been pretty busy - as you can imagine. As well as their usual work, helping people affected by everything from house fires and flooding to money problems and even loneliness, the Red Cross have played a critical role in our nation’s Covid-19 response by co-ordinating Covid testing, supporting in hospital emergency departments, delivering medication and food to those self-isolating and providing additional ambulances to the front line.

Their volunteers are possibly some of the most underrated superheroes in the universe. Let’s take a closer look at some of the amazing things they do:

After the 999 call

One example of why the Red Cross is so important can be seen in the role they play after a house fire. As Adam told me, ‘imagine escaping safely from a fire and standing outside freezing in the middle of the night watching the fire crew put out the flames. The ambulance might be there to check you over but although you’re shivering and frightened, you don’t need to go to the hospital…so, where do you go next? Perhaps you’re in your pyjamas, perhaps you have a baby with you, perhaps you rely on the medicine that’s been destroyed in the fire’. 

The Red Cross is dispatched when you make a 999 call and the emergency services request it, but they stay to help once the emergency services have done their job; to make sure you’re warm, clothed and have all the essentials you and your family need. They can help you find accommodation, organise transport to that accommodation and then put you in touch with the people you need to help you sort out everything from your immediate food and/or housing needs to the longer term financial effects of your house fire. 

No job too big or too small

Another reason why the Red Cross is so amazing is that they will provide help and support - and hope - to one individual in their region experiencing a personal crisis just as they would to hundreds of people affected by a large-scale national emergency (such as the Grenfell disaster or the Manchester bombings, to give two recent examples). 

If large numbers of people need to be evacuated or cared for, the Red Cross will utilise public buildings to create rest centres and provide people with a safe place to stay for a while; if an asylum seeker needs help adjusting to a new life, the Red Cross will be there to help them build their network, access benefits and provide food parcels. When someone needs fast access to a wheelchair or transport to their hospital appointment, the Red Cross can be called on, and when a family tragedy has left someone in financial difficulty or suffering from poor mental health, the Red Cross can help them find the support and services they need. 

During the Covid-19 crisis, the British Red Cross has extended its services with a Coronavirus support line, which is open every day from 10am until 6pm, and right now in the West Midlands they are also working alongside public health England to coordinate Covid testing in the community. So while you might not hear very much about this brilliant charity in the news, we really would be lost without them.

Want to get involved?

Like many charities this year, the Red Cross needs donations to ensure that they can keep doing their amazing work. At The Marketing Pod, we’ve donated £750 to the Red Cross instead of sending our clients presents this year - you can donate whatever you can afford here. 

Another thing Adam told me during our chat is that the Red Cross here in the West Midlands needs to recruit new volunteers. Could that be you or someone you know? You don’t need any special qualifications, just plenty of energy and buckets of kindness. Adam started volunteering when he was only 16 years old, but it’s never too late to get involved. Most volunteers will typically take part in two to four shifts per month, depending on their availability. If that’s something you would like to know more about, please drop Adam a quick email to aleach@redcross.org.uk.