Simon began by explaining why he chose to move back to his home town in Perth two years ago after spending 15 years in Queensland.
One of the reasons is to be closer to his mother who naturally enough, is ageing, and also to join Red Cross, a not for profit humanitarian provider. Simon is the Business Development Officer for Red Cross in WA and is involved in its Community and Stakeholder engagement activities.
Red Cross was founded by a Swiss businessman, Henry Dunant, in 1863 in Geneva. He went on to win the world’s first Nobel Peace Prize. The Australian Red Cross was founded after the outbreak of World War 1, leading to its centenary in 2014.
There are 191 Red Cross societies across the world. The red cross, red crescent or red crystal have their roots in religion but their fundamental principles are the same: To provide support to anyone regardless of allegiance, nationality or religion.
Red Cross brands include First Aid and Mental Health, Lifeblood and Red Cross Shops.
Red Cross is on hand to respond to emergencies and disasters and is activated by Department of Communities. Here in Western Australia our natural disasters are usually bushfires, cyclones and floods. Red Cross offers support services to help people to get back on their feet, before, during and after an event.
Red Cross has a wide range of community services to help people feel safe and connected, for example the soup patrol. The organisation also helps migrants in transition who may come from areas of conflict, war and disaster. Emergency relief, settlement and support to reconnect families are offered.
Red Cross has around 20,000 volunteers and members and 521,000 blood donors in Australia. It receives funding from the Commonwealth and State Governments and donations.
One of its key focus areas is aged care with the aim that older, vulnerable people have better lives through friendship and to be comfortable in their own homes. One in four aged people live alone and loneliness can affect their mental and physical well being.
Some ways that Red Cross can help is through Telecross with a quick phone call each morning to check in with a person who lives alone. An extension of that is Telechat which enables a longer more sociable conversation and volunteer visiting. These services can be accessed through the My Aged Care umbrella.
Simon gave us a comprehensive overview of the principles and aims of Red Cross. There are many volunteer roles available in the organisation and if we run out of chores to do at Rotary, he thoughtfully left booklets on the tables encouraging us to join up!