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welcome and said that she was a volunteer from the West Midlands Branch with 41 years service - once in the organisation there was no escape! Liz taught first-aid and more advanced skills to ambulance crews, the Emergency Response Team and other organisations, pointing out the Red Cross was the largest humanitarian organisation in the world with 186 national societies and more presently joining, making up a total of 106,000,000 volunteers - 250 of which were in the West Midlands.
Beginning a powerpoint presentation she explained The Red Cross was formed following publication of a book in 1862 'A Memory of Solferino' by Swiss businessman Jean Henri Dunant who had been in the area of the Battle of Solferino where 40,000 men were wounded or killed. Following the wounded into the town he found the whole population trying to care for them in the cathedral, the women giving out water and tearing up sheets for dressings heedless of whether the casualty was foe or friend; on expressing his surprise at this he was told "they are just lads needing care". Subsequently Germany set up a 'Committee of Five' which expanded to 'The 'International Committee for the Relief to the Wounded' and later to 'The National Committee of the Red Cross' and called for an international convention on "the amelioration of the sick and wounded of armies in the field". National societies began to form and in 1870 the Red Cross came into being as a result of a letter to 'The Times'. Medical services on the battlefield needed a highly visible symbol to avoid being targeted and the reverse of the Swiss flag was chosen as a tribute to Dunant; the societies formed did splendid work in the First and Second World Wars and their role has widened to include civil disasters, eg, earthquakes, floods, etc. The International Committee of 25 Swiss citizens is a private organisation working in wartime and any areas of conflict. Other nations formed the service under different symbols, i.e. Turkey settled on the Red Crescent, the reverse of the Turkish flag, Persia on the Red Elephant but, as Iran, changed to the Red Crescent. The Statute of the movement stated that the symbol had to be one of the three but the Balkans War with its large religious component posed an identification problem so Red Crystal is used. National Societies obey seven fundamental principles but
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the one mandatory is Humanity. In the UK, 'home from hospital' programme has developed into providing help for people treated at Outpatient Day Care and for patients ready to leave hospital but not strong enough to cope by themselves, the Red Cross will provide support in many ways, seeing there is food in the fridge to getting a morning paper. City, Heartlands and Manor hospitals already use this programme and it will spread across the Midlands, with the Red Cross contracting with the hospital for each client's requirements. There are medical equipment loan centres at Blackwood Rd., Streetly and Selly Oak hospital and items can be loaned for a day or longer, e.g. wheelchairs.
Red Cross holds first aid sessions from 2 hours to a full day to teach skills to employees, young persons, other organisations, and, only in West Midlands, people with learning difficulties. For Civil Disasters the Society has portable shelters for use as hospital/emergency treatment centres which can be erected in 3 minutes, an ambulance equipped as a first-line vehicle to cover events from a school fete to the 'Bulldog Bash' motorcycle meeting, and vans equipped as Fire Support Vehicles to attend fires if called out by Fire Control; the vans contain special packs of clothes and toiletries for adults and children, a w.c., toys, and even a dog pack. Red Cross staff help victims by contacting insurers, relatives, social services and taking people to accommodation. Therapeutic services are provided from basic massage to relieve pain to help with make-up to camouflage birthmarks. The West Midlands exclusively holds stores for injured soldiers and their families; Afghanistan to Selly Oak is a rapid transfer and soldiers arrive without any kit whilst their families can travel long distances and are accommodated in flats which the Red Cross keep stocked and ready for occupation. Liz outlined more services e.g. tracing relatives, described incidents where Police or Local Authority asked for Red Cross presence, and appealed for continued support of the Shops which provided funds for the work to continue. The Chairman said he had no idea of the full extent of Red Cross services and thanked Liz for an inspiring talk, inviting her to join the assembly for the coffee break. There was much applause and thanks from the floor.
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