Newsletter for Members and Volunteers, Issue 2 2014

Newsletter for Members and Volunteers ISSUE 2 ▪ 2014 ▪ Victoria

THE + PLUS EFFECT What you didn’t know about volunteering COMING OUT SWINGING How a trapeze artist triumphed over debt

SHOP WITH US

Introducing our centenary memorabilia

In FOCUS A message from the President and CEO In less than a month we will mark the exact day of the first Australian meeting of Red Cross.

After that initial meeting in Melbourne, a number of volunteers came forward all over Australia committing themselves to the work of Red Cross and forming Red Cross branches right across the country.

On Founding Day (13 August) we will commemorate our Centenary by releasing the official history of Red Cross in Australia—Professor Melanie Oppenheimer’s book The Power of Humanity. Melanie is a Professor of History at Flinders University and has spent years researching Red Cross, from our founding in war to our broad work in helping vulnerable people today. Her book is sure to be a fascinating read and will be available for purchase from our Centenary Shop, centenaryshop.redcross.org.au.

We are proud to welcome Channel 7 as our official centenary partner—you may have already seen some TV promotions celebrating our Centenary. Another valued business partner is Bunnings, which will host a national BBQ Day and fundraiser for Red Cross on 9 August. We hope you’ll be able to join in and even volunteer at your local Bunnings BBQ on the day.

The Red Cross Board has endorsed the organisation’s budget for next financial year, taking into account the current external pressures experienced by the not for profit sector. This year we are faced with unprecedented funding challenges.

We are deeply disappointed to report that Red Cross has been formally notified by the Minister for Health, Mr Dutton, on behalf of the Prime Minister Mr Abbott that the General Purpose Grant of $5 million from the Australian Government will not be paid to Red Cross in the coming year.

The General Purpose Grant was originally negotiated

by Red Cross with Prime Minister Howard in 2006 prior to Red Cross agreeing to sign the Deed of Agreement with the National Blood Authority. It has been paid every year since by Governments of all political persuasions under Prime Ministers Howard, Rudd and Gillard. The National Board has resolved to take up the concerns of Red Cross with the Federal Government at the highest level and they are proceeding to do so immediately.

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Finally, we would like to inform you of our new child protection policy. Red Cross has a strong commitment to protecting children who we come into contact with through our work. We recently conducted a review of our child protection policy and practices, making a number of positive changes which will be central to our ways of working.

The roll-out of the new policy and code of conduct is currently underway and we encourage you to keep an eye out for more information in the coming months. By creating a safer environment for children, we all benefit.

This is an amazing organisation and we are humbled by the contribution that our people make each and every day. Happy Centenary and thank you!

Michael Legge President Australian Red Cross

Robert Tickner CEO Australian Red Cross

BAKE up a STORM This year’s Big Cake Bake is building up to be tastier than ever as we blow out the candles for Red Cross in Australia’s 100th anniversary. While the bake-off officially takes place on Monday 25 August, anyone can join in and raise vital funds at any time in August. To find out how easy it is to get involved, download some recipes or see where your funds go, visit bigcakebake.org.au.

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Around Victoria A message from the Chair and Executive Director

We are very pleased with the response of the community helping us to celebrate people helping people in large and small events all around Victoria.

In February, the Beechworth Business community supported Red Cross by dedicating the month to us with many businesses donating to Red Cross at that time.

In March we celebrated International Women’s Day and Red Cross women in an event titled ‘Women and War’ that was generously sponsored by Melbourne City. In April, we partnered with Sports for Change to hold an event focused on young people, with 13 soccer teams participating in a carnival and celebrating diversity. In May, we went to Government House on World Red Cross Red Crescent Day and acknowledged the amazing achievements of Red Cross people who received awards from our Patron, Mrs. Elizabeth Chernov.

There are many more fabulous events happening in every community, many supported by local government.

These include numerous receptions, gala dinners, parades, luncheons, exhibitions and planting of roses and trees to celebrate and commemorate Red Cross service in their community. Go to our Centenary website at redcross.org.au/centenary to find out more and to post a personal story about your connection with Red Cross. Don’t forget to post a photo or a summary of how your event went to inspire others. Ask your Membership Officer to give you a hand if you don’t know how to do this.

Voluntary Service is a fundamental principle of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. Right from the beginning, 100 years ago, volunteers have supported us to make a difference in communities. That’s how we started, that’s what made the difference, and that’s how we must continue. During National Volunteer Week in May, we launched our nationwide Voluntary Service Campaign called ‘The+Plus Effect’ that recognises the contribution volunteers make in building stronger, more inclusive and more connected communities.

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We thank our generous volunteers in Victoria and all around Australia.

As always, please feel free to submit any comments you might like to make to vicinfo@redcross.org.au.

John Hood Victorian Divisional Advisory Board Chairman

Toni Aslett Executive Director Victoria

Australian Red Cross/Archives

During the Centenary of Red Cross in Australia we are proudly celebrating 100 years of people helping people, and thanking generations of Australians for their service to the nation in times of war, disaster and personal crisis.

Tell us your story Have you shared your chapter of the Red Cross story?

Bronwyn from Adelaide told us, “I had never thought I needed first aid training until I was about to become a mum for the first time. The Red Cross course for parents was a real eye opener and I have already put some of the skills I learned to use.” Whether you have learned with us, supported us or been helped by us, you are invited to share your piece of history at redcross.org.au/centenary.

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iStockphoto

Bunnings BBQ Day

Join us! We are teaming up with our Centenary fundraising partner, Bunnings to celebrate our 100th Birthday with a national Red Cross Centenary Fundraiser BBQ Day. Red Cross will be hosting fundraising BBQs at Bunnings stores across the country on Saturday 9 August. It’s a terrific opportunity for locals to find

out how they can support our work, making sure we are here for the next 100 years. You can play an important part in the celebrations too.

RENEW

Help out

We need members and volunteers to be friendly Red Cross faces, cooking, serving, and staffing our information tables. Save the date and register your interest to volunteer on our website— redcross.org.au/BBQ.

DRIVE SAFELY for Red Cross

Australian Red Cross

your membership!

Many of you would have recently received an invitation to renew your membership for the new financial year.

Your membership is due on 1 July and it’s important our members renew their support for our work in a timely way.

If you haven’t already done so, renew today! We recently launched an updated online payment facility to make renewing quick and easy. Visit www.redcross.org. au/renewal or call 1800 811 700. Branch/Unit and Club members are welcome to continue to renew via their Branch or Club; simply present your renewal coupon recently mailed to you with your payment to your Treasurer or coordinator of renewals.

Many of you are receiving this newsletter by email, which saves us in printing and postage costs. We also send a regular members-only e-newsletter called Membership Matters—to receive this as well as other digital updates, email members@redcross.org.au.

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Many of our staff and volunteers drive as part of their work for Red Cross, and their safety is a major priority for us.

Did you know that most collisions are due to driver error? With nose-to-tail collisions being the most common kind, it’s important to look up and stay back, keeping a gap of at least three seconds between yourself and the vehicle in front. Most drivers do not do this, meaning that if the car in front of them were to brake suddenly, they would not be able to stop in time.

Another common mistake made by competent drivers is rushing and not taking the time to check blind spots, particularly when reversing.

To view a safe driving video developed by our Work Health and Safety team, go to vimeo.com/77924743.

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On World Red Cross Day we launched our centenary memorabilia range at NSW Parliament House.

The range includes an Australia Post stamp collection featuring centenary imagery and two collectable coins from the Perth Mint. Our collection of vintage gear includes a T-shirt, bumper sticker, apron and tea towel. This memorabilia is available for purchase at centenaryshop.redcross.org.au.

The next big centenary event takes place on our Founding Day, Wednesday 13 August, when we commemorate 100 years to the day since the first meeting of Red Cross in Australia. You can check out community events around the country at redcross.org.au/centenary.

In celebration of Founding Day we will proudly launch Professor Melanie Oppenheimer’s book The Power of Humanity, which recounts the evolution of Red Cross in Australia. The book will be available for purchase from 12 August through our online Centenary Shop.

Our apron, T-shirt and sticker are modelled by Lisa Maunsell, Nathan Taylor and Greta Whyte.

A chance to celebrate

Australian Red Cross/Vincent Verdet

Festivities occurred all over the country in honour of World Red Cross Day on May 8. This event is held annually around the world to celebrate the birthday of Red Cross Red Crescent founder Henry Dunant.

Volunteers and staff like Emma McCarthy and Danielle Burdon braved the cold to show commuters around a Red Cross Centenary display outside Wynyard Train Station in Sydney.

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In NSW, Australian Red Cross CEO Robert Tickner joined President Michael Legge and hundreds of guests at NSW Parliament House for the official launch of the centenary commemorative stamp and coin.

Red Cross supporters received invitations to events at West Australian Parliament House, Northern Territory Parliament and Government House in Melbourne. In Hobart and Launceston, new babies sharing the birthday of Henry Dunant were welcomed into the world with free Red Cross packs. From a picnic in Perth to an openair cinema night in Darwin, and memorabilia displays and fairs in towns from Swan Hill (VIC) to Gerringong (NSW), World Red Cross Day was an event to remember.

To view a time capsule taken on the day, go to redcross.org.au/world-red-cross-day-2014.aspx. You can also view our inspiring video ‘A Great Australian Story’ at youtube.com/AustralianRedCross.

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Australian Red Cross

PURCHASE a piece of RED CROSS

Australian Red Cross/Sarah Landro

Arthur performed on the trapeze under the titles The Great Arturo and The Indestructible Arturo.

Arthur Trostl was literally a high flyer—a circus trapeze performer and successful theatrical producer—before a series of crushing blows left him on the brink of homelessness.

The 63-year-old man once known in the circus as The Indestructible Arturo has survived serious injuries and financial hits from a divorce and the global financial crisis.

He was unable to work and facing eviction when Red Cross came into his life, helping him to access emergency financial and food relief as well as financial counselling. He now remains in his housing and is planning ways to get out of debt.

“Red Cross was there for me,” Arthur says. “Once you start to feel like there are people out there helping you, you yourself start to get involved. You start to take control.

“I’m catching up. I’m going to catch up!” he says, with flashes of The Indestructible Arturo in his smile.

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Australian Red Cross

Coming out SWINGING Maude Esther and Talita Nandy enjoy basket-weaving at Pat Gosper Place.

A HOME FOR HEALTH Six months after opening, the Cairns Wellbeing Centre—Pat Gosper Place—is providing a home away from home for people from remote parts of Far North Queensland, including many people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

“Predominant users have been people from the rural and remote communities of the Torres Strait, Western and Eastern Cape York [and] Gulf of Carpentaria,” says Michael White, Regional Manager for Red Cross FNQ. Quality healthcare can be harder to access in remote areas, where many people suffer from reduced life expectancy and higher levels of disease and illness. Pat Gosper Place improves access to services in Cairns by providing free accommodation, but the centre’s services go beyond just that.

With a focus on broader wellbeing, the centre provides culturally-appropriate support including skills training and visits from local services for health, homelessness and family support.

“A number of activities are conducted in the facility, [including] fishing trips, arts and crafts, music sessions, cooking and educational forums,” Michael says.

“These activities along with staff and volunteers have [created] a warm, welcoming culture that respects people from all walks of life.”

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The + Plus Effect We are an organisation built on volunteering and we wouldn’t have been able to help the most vulnerable in our communities for 100 years without the ongoing support of our volunteers.

Volunteering is more than you think

Australian Red Cross

In our centenary year we are proud to launch The + Plus Effect campaign. Volunteers bring a ‘plus effect’ to their societies through their knowledge, skills and ability to build bridges between people. Our 30,000 volunteers add value not only to the lives of the people they support, but to our community as a whole.

Our volunteers help us to serve 750,000 breakfasts to kids who might otherwise go without, make 1.7 million phone calls every year to elderly and socially-isolated Australians, provide emotional and practical support after disasters, provide customer service in Red Cross Shops and help people achieve healthier, safer and more sustainable lives in Australia and internationally.

We are thankful to all our volunteers. Our society is more supportive, connected and inclusive because of their generosity.

To learn more about The + Plus Effect, visit our website redcross.org.au.

GEORGIA adds a plus to her community

Australian Red Cross

Georgia Lee-Abbott, 22, is a seasoned volunteer and was recently awarded the ACT Young Volunteer of the Year Award. Her work includes providing a safe place to chill at events for young partygoers, giving friendship and support to young asylum seekers, and serving as the Chair of the ACT Youth Advisory Committee and youth representative on the National Centenary Committee. It’s quite a list for someone who is also studying for a degree in Global Development and working part time for World Vision.

Georgia notes that volunteering with asylum seekers enables her to correct misinformation.

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“My uni friends will ask me ‘oh wow, what are they like, why did they come to Australia, what’s their story?’” she says. “I feel like by telling their story to other people I’m breaking down stereotypes and contributing to a closer-knit community that’s way more tolerant.”

Georgia also enjoys building connections with people of different ages and from other walks of life.

“It’s been really great in fostering a sense of community because it’s bringing like-minded people together that have the same passions and interests, but it’s cross-generational.”

Newsletter for Members and Volunteers 7

Australian Red Cross/Louise M Cooper

State Records of SA, GRG 26/5/4/1107, ALDERSON, Lancelot Reginald

TRACING to the TRENCHES of WWI

Lance, pictured in 1914, is now remembered on a plaque at the Lone Pine Memorial in Turkey.

One of the many stories in the 100-year history of our Tracing Service was featured on Channel 7 News for Anzac Day. From the shores of Gallipoli, Chris Bath told the story of 19-year-old Lancelot Reginald Alderson, who was one of the first Australian soldiers to arrive at Anzac Cove.

Nick Lok won our ‘1,000 Paper Cranes’ competition, part of our Make Nuclear Weapons the Target campaign in 2011.

100 years of promoting LAWS in WARS

Red Cross was born in war. When the Australian Branch of the British Red Cross Society was formed days into the First World War, the needs of sick and wounded soldiers were uppermost in the minds of its founders. The Geneva Conventions, written into While Lance was killed within a international humanitarian law (IHL), defined our humanitarian week of arriving, his family struggled mission by establishing that wars should have limits and the to find any information about him wounded should be protected. for weeks afterwards—until they turned to Red Cross. Led by Vera Deakin, who set up Australia’s Tracing Service at just 24 years of age, Red Cross volunteers discovered that Lance had been shot on 2 May 1914, taken to a hospital ship and later laid to rest at sea. The sad discovery provided some closure for Lance’s family. As 7 News reported, “without the Red Cross Tracing Service, we may still be wondering what happened to him”.

Read and view Lance’s story at redcross.org.au/gallipoli.aspx.

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Our first Red Cross members rushed to supply items and volunteers to the war front, and to work in hospitals back home. Many patients suffered the fearful effects of poisonous gas, which came to be regarded as the most abhorrent weapon of the Great War. The response, the Geneva Gas Protocol banning the use of asphyxiating and poisonous gases, came in 1925.

By the 1990s, anti-personnel landmines were killing or maiming as many as 100 people per week – often children who were born decades after conflicts had ended. A ban on anti-personnel landmines, colloquially known as the ‘Ottawa Convention’, was adopted in 1997.

Twenty years later, Red Cross is involved in another humanitarian campaign – this time to create a legally-binding instrument against the use of nuclear weapons. We are garnering the support of governments around the world to ensure they are never used again.

Learn more about our IHL history at redcross.org.au/IHL.

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Children gather safe water, purified by the NOMAD.

More than 50,000 people were affected by heavy rains and flooding in the Solomon Islands in April.

Australian Red Cross aid workers were there during the floods, working alongside Solomon Islands Red Cross to meet the needs of people whose homes had been damaged or destroyed. In addition to emergency relief, we are involved in ongoing work to create healthier and more resilient communities in the islands.

After a tsunami hit the Solomon Islands last year, an Australian Red Cross portable water purification system called the NOMAD provided people with safe water for more than two months. Before the NOMAD’s introduction in 2009, many communities had no access to clean water after disasters, leading to problems like diarrhoea and skin rashes.

“Safe water is often the difference between life and death,” says Jimmy Baragamo, volunteer Water and Sanitation team leader with Solomon Islands Red Cross.

In partnership with SYRIA Violent conflict continues in Syria, where more than 150,000 civilians have lost their lives and almost half the country’s population has been displaced.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has provided food, water and other relief to millions of Syrians over the past three years.

However, some places remain hard to reach due to violence and lack of respect for international humanitarian law.

The ICRC recently extended its budget in order to provide further assistance in this urgent humanitarian crisis. The spending of over USD$150 million makes the Syria effort unmatched by any other operation in the past 15 years. The ICRC is partnering with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) to use pre-

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$150 million makes the Syria effort unmatched… existing community connections in delivering relief.

“The SARC’s presence in both Government and oppositioncontrolled areas, its proximity to affected populations, the dedication of its staff and volunteers and their deep knowledge of the terrain allow the ICRC to deliver aid even in the most challenging environments,” says ICRC delegate Daphnée Maret.

IFRC/Ibrahim Malla

Australian Red Cross/Tim McInerney

CLEAN WATER for recovery

Displaced children attend a mobile health clinic provided by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.

Newsletter for Members and Volunteers 9

COMMITMENT

Australian Red Cross

to communities

Jimmy Kyle, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Officer

Jimmy Kyle, state Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Officer, spent the first half of this year travelling around Victoria to discuss this commitment—what we are doing well and what we could do better.

Jimmy attended all nine Zone Committee meetings and enjoyed hearing from members about their future visions for Red Cross.

Our zones joined us in our goal to increase Indigenous membership with Red Cross in Victoria and promote further Indigenous engagement in Red Cross services.

“This important work with members supports the Red Cross Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy,” says Toni Aslett, Executive Director Victoria. “[It] is a positive way forward for Red Cross and the beginning of us working more closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities in regional areas.”

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Australian Red Cross

Red Cross has a commitment to working together as partners with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, supporting them to build their own solutions for positive change.

Archive volunteers Felicity French, Susan McDougall and Isabelle Dusting.

VOLUNTEERS preserve history

Australian Red Cross Heritage Collections are a treasure trove of material about Australian society from 1914 to the present day.

Each state and territory maintains its own regional Heritage Collection, and with the national office located in Melbourne, the national archive is housed there.

The Heritage Collection in Victoria includes memorabilia such as uniforms, flags, photographs and historical video footage. A key group of dedicated volunteers has been sorting through and preparing items for display during our centenary year, as well as researching our history

and supporting branches to prepare for their own celebrations.

“One of the great joys of volunteering in the Victorian Heritage Collection is that you have the opportunity to work with a wonderful group of volunteers, are supervised by a kind and very knowledgeable archivist, and you get to work with treasures that reflect the goodness and generosity of people within the community,” volunteer archivist Susan McDougall says.

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Australian Red Cross

VYAC members Jess, Emma, Tina and Andrew participate in a team-building paddle boarding session.

YOUTH planning camp The Victorian Youth Advisory Committee (VYAC) recently held their annual planning weekend in Rosebud. They developed some great ideas for upcoming events and came away from the weekend with a clear direction of how they can work to build a strong network of young volunteers within Red Cross.

The VYAC plays an important role in ensuring that Red Cross in Victoria is responsive to the needs of young people, while also engaging them in our activities.

Red Cross values the youth perspective and seeks it out not just in Victoria but across the country.

In the coming months, the VYAC will be aiming to work more closely with Red Cross program areas to

improve youth engagement and participation.

If you are a young volunteer, look out for a survey, new social events and a Young Humanitarian Newsletter, all due to be rolled out in 2014.

For more information on becoming a Young Humanitarian, visit redcross.org.au/younghumanitarians.aspx.

Local ACHIEVER This award was given to him in recognition of the quality and breadth of his community service and personal achievements, which encompass almost exclusively Red Cross activities. Andrew’s history of service for Australian Red Cross spans 22 years, commencing in 1991 when he established the Warrnambool First Aid Unit.

Andrew is well-known in the local community after his many years as an emergency response member, patient transport driver

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and convenor, Red Cross Calling organiser and fundraiser, branch member, first aid trainer and volunteer, and a branch and zone office bearer and Zone Representative.

Andrew’s achievements and service were also recognised with a Red Cross Service Award, which was presented at Government House on 8 May. At the event, Red Cross in Victoria extended thanks to Andrew, a supporter who truly embodies the power of humanity.

Supplied

Andrew Squires, a long-term Red Cross member and volunteer, was presented with an Australia Day Local Achiever Award by the Warrnambool City Council on 26 January 2014.

Newsletter for Members and Volunteers 11

Australian Red Cross

A Southern Cross Care worker helps Red Cross College student Helen Manning-Dallman with on-the-job training.

A small Breaking down barriers to work amount for a with disabilities or other barriers to employment are gaining BIG difference People access to long-term, sustainable work through Red Cross Training Did you know that Red Cross runs Wills Days? We can give you the opportunity to meet with a local solicitor from our national solicitor network and prepare or update a simple Will from $75.

While there is no obligation to include Red Cross in your Will, the service gives you the option of leaving us a gift to support our everyday work into the future.

Find out more by emailing bequests@redcross.org.au or calling 1800 811 700.

Services, which offers more than 40 courses and qualifications.

We recently partnered with MatchWorks, a disability employment services provider, to build the skills of their job-seekers. Our nationallyaccredited training is delivered through small classes which offer a supportive learning environment, and students can learn on the job by taking part in practical work placements.

Southern Cross Care is one business which recently took on

Red Cross College work experience students. “We had a very positive experience with Red Cross College students,” says Michael Alder from Southern Cross Care. “We are pleased with the talent coming through and have enjoyed the great partnerships built between our staff and Red Cross.”

To learn more about opportunities for both job-seekers and employers, call 1300 367 428.

Contact your local Red Cross office for more information: National Office 155 Pelham Street Carlton VIC 3053 T 1800 811 700 F 1800 855 240 redcross.org.au

Victoria 23­­­­­‒47 Villiers Street North Melbourne VIC 3001 GPO Box 9949 Melbourne VIC 3001 T 03 8327 7700 F 03 8327 7711 E vicinfo@redcross.org.au

Cover Image: Australian Red Cross

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