New Zealand Red Cross Link January 2012

new zealand red cross

issue 1/2012 In this issue: christchurch torch radio programme commemorative coins Statutory meetings abroad

our world; your move—for humanity

¡ From left to right, chief executive John Ware, policy and advocacy manager Gabrielle Emery and national president Penny Mason representing New Zealand Red Cross in Geneva.

Convening under the banner “our world; your move- for humanity” the international statutory meetings of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement brought together national societies and governments from around the world to discuss humanitarian matters of common concern. New Zealand Red

Message from Penny

Cross delegation consisting of national president Penny Mason, chief executive John Ware, vice president Paul Steere and policy and advocacy manager Gabrielle Emery travelled to Geneva to attend the meetings at the end of last year. National board member Aaron Turner also participated, representing the Asia Pacific Youth Panel. There were three different meetings over ten days, the General Assembly, a meeting comprising of the 187 national societies and the Federation; the Council of Delegates for all components of the Movement and the International Conference which includes States Parties to the Geneva Conventions (governments). The International Conference is unique in that it includes governments and the Movement and is a great illustration of the auxiliary nature of Red Cross at work.

Story continues inside.

annual report win New Zealand Red Cross’ 2010 Annual Report won the not-for-profit category at the 2011 New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants Leadership Awards held in Wellington on 30 November.

New Zealand Red Cross Chief Executive John Ware called the document “a compelling reflection of the dedication and enthusiasm of our volunteers, members, and staff”.

The judges said New Zealand Red Cross began its annual report with a pictorial record of achievements. “This sets the tone for a report that flows, has consistent communication throughout, with a good statement of service performance, a financial summary in statement of service performance, a financial summary in pictorial form, and

well-presented financial statements.”

The other finalists included Agriculture Industry Training Organisation Incorporated, New Zealand Rugby Union Incorporated and Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind.

ANNUAL REPORT 2010

New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants run the awards to encourage organisations to raise the standard of reporting by considering what makes an awardwinning document.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I do hope that most of you have had some relaxing time with family and friends. I myself am looking forward to another busy year in Red Cross, my last as president.

So, another year—what will it bring?

2011 taught us that the unpredictable happens even in this “safe” country.

None of us know what lies around the corner which means an organisation such as ours needs to be ready for any event, anywhere at any time, as we were helping victims of the floods in Nelson before Christmas.

We are just a few weeks away from the anniversary of the shocking disaster in Christchurch on 22 February. As we know, the legacy of that day is one that will haunt Canterbury people for a long time as did the Hawke’s Bay 1931 earthquake, the anniversary of which is marked on 3 February. The Hawke’s Bay earthquake eventually resulted in the establishment of New Zealand Red Cross, while the Christchurch and Canterbury earthquakes have put our organisation in the spotlight of the New Zealand public as never before.

Thank you to you all for your contributions to the response to disasters and also to the ongoing work of Red Cross. We cannot manage without you and your amazing commitment to the voluntary service for which we are so well known. I do hope to have the opportunity to meet with many of you during this year.

Penny Mason

National President

new zealand red cross

our world; your move—for humanity Story continued from page 1.

honours and awards AUCKLAND VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR New Zealand Red Cross Waiheke branch vice-president Leonie Leonard has been recognised as the Auckland east, south, and central Volunteer of the Year.

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL Jill Hetherington has been awarded the New Zealand Red Cross Distinguished Service Medal.

HONORARY LIFE MEMBERSHIPS Euan Abernethy and Peter Leslie have been awarded an honorary life membership for their contribution and stewardship of the New Zealand Red Cross Foundation. nelson floods On 14 December local authorities declared a state of emergency in the Nelson Tasman region following periods of heavy rain that caused widespread slips and flooding.

Three welfare centres were opened to assist approximately 200 displaced people. A local volunteer emergency response team was activated to support authorities. Teams from Christchurch and Blenheim also travelled to the affected area to support the Nelson volunteers.

In total, 27 volunteers and staff were involved in the initial response.

Red Cross teams assisted local authorities with outreach, needs assessments, psychosocial support and the provision of welfare assistance.

This conference happens every four years and allows governments and Red Cross to sit face-to-face and discuss issues affecting humanity. Of great significance are the resolutions we collectively adopt. This year the focus was on strengthening disaster laws, National Society auxiliary status, volunteering, migration, and inequitable access to health and key issues related to international humanitarian law as well as health care in danger. The two other Red Cross “internal meetings” included issues concerning our strategic direction, volunteering and nuclear weapons.

As part of the meetings, participants were also encouraged to make pledges which signaled their long-term strategic commitments. New Zealand Red Cross entered into four joint pledges with the New Zealand Government on disaster risk reduction and strengthening disaster laws in the Pacific, better protection of the emblem and IHL dissemination and a joint commitment to support the Health Care in Danger campaign. Individually we pledged to raise awareness around the proliferation of the use of small arms, particularly in the lead up to the Arms Trade Treaty negotiations later this year and to better support vulnerable migrants in New Zealand. During the Council of Delegates meeting a truly historic resolution was adopted on the use of nuclear weapons, the resolutions commits the Movement to advocate for and work towards, a legally binding

AITANGI DAY 6W

Prior to the Geneva based meetings, New Zealand Red Cross hosted a preparatory meeting for all sisters national societies from across the Pacific region to help formulate “Pacific positions” on issues of common concern. We are the only region to hold such a meeting and the impact of our coordinated voice was evident in Geneva. The fact that Niki Rattle, Secretary General of the Cook Islands Red Cross, chaired the International Conference also added to the strong profile of the Pacific during the meetings.

We will be looking to keep up this momentum at the next set of statutory meetings which will be taking place in Sydney in 2013.

If you are interested if finding out more about New Zealand Red Cross’ pledges have a look at the IHL section of sharepoint or email gabrielle.emergy@redcross.org.nz

japanese disaster response update It has been almost a year since a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck just off the north-east coast of Japan. Aid workers from International Red Cross societies continue to assist the Japanese Red Cross Society in its recovery.

New Zealand Red Cross aid worker and tsunami response expert Jerry Talbot was sent for five weeks to help with an evaluation of the Japanese Red Cross’ and the International Federation Red Cross’ response to the earthquake and tsunami. The evaluation was aimed at improving

KEY DATES FEBRUARY

international agreement to ensure nuclear weapons are never used again and are ultimately eliminated. The decision is of critical importance as it challenges the legitimacy of nuclear weapons ever being used as a weapon of war because of the catastrophic humanitarian consequences, in particular on civilian populations and the threat to world food production over wide areas of the world. New Zealand Red Cross was vocal in our support of this resolution and we will be looking up to step up our engagement on this issue over the coming years.

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the domestic intervention mechanism and developing the coordination and mobility of international support.

International Operations and Emergencies Manager Andrew McKie visited late last year as one of 25 senior staff from 12 societies invited as part of a response monitoring visit. The group went to the decimated coastal fishing district of Otsuchi, where it is thought over half the population perished.

New Zealand Red Cross donations to the Japanese appeal reached over $600,000.

WORLD DAY OF THE SICK

23

ORLD DAY OF W SOCIAL JUSTICE

who am i?

red cross lottery

Do you want to nominate someone you think we should all know about?

Are they new? Have they been here a long time? Or are they interesting?

We would love to hear from you! So please send us a picture and a contact number and we will show them off around New Zealand Red Cross.

Email us communications@redcross.org.nz Who am I? Ricky Butler IT Officer

Who am I? Alice Montague National Fundraising Manager

¡ Ford sales manager Mike Tappenden and Gail Plamus hand over the keys to lottery winner Ian and his wife Jacqui.

How long have I been with Red Cross?

Three years.

What do you do?

Tell people to turn their computer on and off, setting up user accounts and well just providing support across the country!

What do you do on a rainy day aka this summer?

Play and listen to music, watch DVDs and update my facebook status.

Why New Zealand Red Cross?

When temping during the Australian Bush fires I felt this was an organisation I could believe in, so when an opportunity arose I took it in the IT department and thanks to Mr Charles Ranby I am here.

Biggest indulgence?

Beer and curry.

How long have you been with Red Cross?

One year.

What do you do?

Responsible for raising lots of money for this organisation through some exciting campaigns. Our team of eight can be found on third level of national office.

About 95 per cent of all tickets for this year’s annual New Zealand Red Cross Lottery were sold—the most successful lottery to date raising about $176,000. Auckland’s Ian Johnston won the 9 December draw, receiving a Ford Fiesta Zetec, while second prize, a Ford Fiesta LX manual car, went to someone from Otaki.

What do you do on a rainy day aka this summer?

Put on waterproofs and go for a long run with my husband and my dog.

Why New Zealand Red Cross?

I have worked for the movement for nearly five years and I think the work that it does is truly amazing.

Biggest indulgence?

Spending too much money on cheese and red wine!

¡ New Zealand Red Cross chief executive John Ware fundraising in Dunedin.

top shop winners The overall winner of the Top Shop Award this year is shared by Whangarei and the St Andrews store in Dunedin.

The award recognises the best performing Red Cross shops in the North and South Island. To enter, shops must have traded for at least two years, with an income of more than $30,000 per annum.

¡ Whangarei shop team

The Whangarei and St Andrews stores had the largest percentage increase in income against the previous year’s trading. The win is the second in a row for Whangarei, who will hold the Pat Gribble Cup for six months before it is passed on to the St Andrews store.

annual appeal

waikato disaster welfare team get busy

ETF ’T L DOEN O R U COLO TH

ETFshow members Limages N’T DO The following O R U E COLO

HOPE FADE 2 RCH 201 12-18 M A APPEAL ANNUAL SEE RED tion se, make a dona

The Waikato disaster welfare team train twice a month to ensure they are prepared to respond to a disaster.

today.

Plea (0900 73 327) RED CROSS calling 0900 donation by Make a $20 a $3 donation 305 to make of support to age mess 6144 Txt your , Wellington 0, Thorndon PO Box 1214 to Red Cross, Post cheq ue .org.nz www.redcross re donation at Make a secu

THof the team providing assistance

¡ Top: Fungai Mhlanga fills in a registration form. ¡ Bottom left: Alec Donald sits, while getting support from Micah Roughton. ¡ Bottom right: Steph Campbell-Wilson gives assistance to person on stretcher.

ADE PEup F HO setting a welfare centre.

2 RCH 201 12-18 M A APPEAL ANNUAL SEE RED today. e a donation Please, mak (0900 73 327) RED CROSS calling 0900 donation by Make a $20 a $3 donation 305 to make of support to age mess 6144 Txt your , Wellington 0, Thorndon PO Box 1214 to Red Cross, Post cheq ue .org.nz www.redcross re donation at Make a secu

Across the country people will be wearing red and supporting New Zealand Red Cross during our SEE RED annual appeal week 12 to 18 March.

It is our biggest fundraising week, so please help us by volunteering and collecting on the streets on Friday 16 March, call your local service centre on 0800 RED CROSS to register. Or visit our website www.redcross.org.nz and check out our new fundraising packs.

These packs offer helpful advice and tips on how you can fundraise for our annual appeal in your community.

For vulnerable people and communities around the world and at home, red is the colour of hope.

Look out for your local volunteer collectors during appeal week, or to make an automatic $20 donation please call 0900 RED CROSS or go to www.redcross.org.nz for more details. With your support we can keep helping people look forward to a brighter future.

prime minister visits red cross talk at whangarei plunket

We would love to hear what your area is planning to do for Annual Appeal, email or send us your stories and photos and we will include in the next edition of link!

Mothers attending a Red Cross community first aid class in Whangarei received a visit from Prime Minister John Key. The class, held at Whangarei Plunket, is one of four question and answer style sessions held throughout the region

annually providing education on how to help children while parents wait for the emergency services to arrive.

First aid instructor Rima Behere (pictured) thanked Mr Key for the Government’s support of Red Cross this year.

volunteer of the year awards Ann Bell from Glenfield Auckland and Alan Byers from Te Aroha were the joint recipients of the inaugural 2011 National Volunteer of the Year Awards.

Ann Bell joined Red Cross in 1948 as a junior member. She has previously been president of the Glenfield branch and currently volunteers around 20 hours a week at her local Red Cross shop.

Alan Byers has been a member for over 30 years and organises the local transport programme in Te Aroha, helping local residents make their hospital appointments.

New Zealand Red Cross board member Jennifer McMahon said: “the 15,000 Red Cross volunteers are the unsung heroes of community work in New Zealand”, and International Volunteer Day provides an opportunity to thank them for giving up their time.

emergency management team update Northern Teams: New Zealand Red Cross has leased a 480m² warehouse in Manukau which will be used for storage of international stocks and as a base for the Auckland disaster welfare support team. A large training room will also be used as an emergency operations centre in the event of a disaster.

Central Teams: Recruitment is ongoing in central regions, for a new Kapiti-Mana team.

The dissolution of the Taranaki team will bring the New Plymouth and Whanganui teams working closer.

Southern Teams: Christchurch has recruited more than 30 new people this year. Other South Island teams have also recruited and trained in Queenstown, Invercargill and Timaru over the Christmas period.

christchurch children given early christmas presents

emergency response members receive commemorative coins Across the country and the Tasman small ceremonies are being held to thank response team members that assisted New Zealand Red Cross’ efforts during its initial and ongoing recovery following the Canterbury earthquakes.

National International Operations and Emergencies Manager Andrew McKie says it is a small token of appreciation.

“The coin concept was in essence for response team members, to demonstrate solidarity between the various teams sent from around the country or who responded to a number of emergencies and natural disaster during 2010 and 2011,” he says.

“A number of coins will be available and will be distributed to nonteam volunteers who have made a major contribution.”

Seventeen coins were sent to Australian Red Cross to thank those that were sent to New Zealand to help.

¡ T he Blenheim (above) and Timaru (below) emergency response teams with their commemorative coins.

¡ Heathcote Valley students with their torch radios, one of which was given to each household

Heathcote Valley Primary School students are amongst thousands of pupils in Christchurch excited to receive torch radios as part of New Zealand Red Cross’ torch radio preparedness programme. The aim is for children to take the torch radios home for families to include in their household emergency survival kit, according to New Zealand Red Cross International Operations and Emergencies Manager Andrew McKie. The weatherproof devices are powered by solar and wind, and can charge a cellphone through their USB port.

Canterbury Area Manager Carol Ball

says the programme began after the February earthquake following feedback indicating that access to torches would be comforting to children during power outages. Reaction from staff and students has been positive, with six year-old Gus Khuton thinks the torch radio is “pretty cool”, and that he “can’t wait to take this home”. A story on the distribution of the torch radios to St James Primary School aired on ONE News and can be viewed at http://goo.gl/8KRdN By the end of 2011, 5,174 torches had been given out to students at 31 schools.

INTERNAL CHALLENGE: Did you know we have a facebook page and twitter account dedicated to telling your stories to the public?

We are putting out a challenge to get Red Cross people to like our facebook page, follow our tweets and get one friend to like us as well! Will you?

FIND US ON FACEBOOK: facebook.com/newzealandredcross FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: twitter.com/nzredcross

NEW ZEALAND RED CROSS LINK

area round-up

Waikato The Putaruru branch was the grateful recipient of a cheque donated by farmers from the proceeds of the sale of its sale yards. Previously the branch had provided morning tea and lunch to farmers on sales day as a fundraiser. The money has been used to furnish two rooms at Fern Haven House and the new Memory Support Unit at Rangiura Rest Home. A plaque acknowledging New Zealand Red Cross is to be placed above the door of each room.

Northland The Paihia and Kerikeri branches combined to raise funds at the A&P Show this year, setting up a book stall and selling raffle tickets.

¡ Paihia and Kerikeri branch members at their A & P Show stall.

hawke’s bay The Napier Red Cross branch has hosted students from the Pacific Paramedical Training Centre in Wellington, providing a picnic luncheon in the garden of Gavin and Jill Ebbett. The centre provides training for laboratory technicians from Pacific Island nations, working closely with Wellington Hospital, the University of Otago Wellington School of Medicine and the New Zealand Blood Service.

The highlight of the students’ visit to the Hawke’s Bay was watching shearing time unfold at the Puketapu farm owned

by Louise and Jim Price. The visit was co-ordinated by Counsellors of Honour Dr Ron Mackenzie and Joan Cockburn.

wairarapa

¡ Putaruru Branch members present the cheque to Trust Chairman Henry van Dyk and manager Jerri Rose.

Red Rose Day was held in Wairarapa late last year, with flowers sourced from India sold at New World, Postie Plus, Countdown, The Warehouse and Paper Plus. Volunteers raised a total of $2499.80, with all the funds going to support community activities in the region.

¡ From left to right, Davidson Alaki from the Solomon Islands, New Zealand Red Cross Wellington Counsellor of Honour Ron Mackenzie, Wellington programme coordinator Phillip Wakem, Solomon Islands Red Cross scholar Donation Nomae and Trusty Boisek Palau.

nelson

christchurch Members of the Charing Cross/ Greendale branch held a sausage sizzle fundraiser in Christchurch, after two earlier attempts planned for 4 September and 26 February were thwarted by the Canterbury earthquakes. With food donated by the Bunnings Earthquake Recovery Programme, the team of 17 volunteers raised $1800.

¡ Red Rose Day collectors stationed outside New World in Wairarapa.

A community garden proposed at the Area Forum earlier in the year has developed, with vegetables growing on previously unused land in partnership with Turret House Social Services in Featherston. Produce will be given to the Foodbank.

The newest Red Cross shop opened in Richmond, near Nelson in November. The shop is staffed with 20 volunteers and managed by Becky Wyatt, formally of High Street shop in Christchurch. The shop achieved a shop record in first day takings and continues to excel with trading.

National Office PO Box 12-140, Wellington 69 Molesworth Street, Thorndon Wellington ¡ The Charing Cross/Greendale fundraiser, held outside Bunnings Warehouse.

¡ The beginnings of the community garden at Turret House on Featherston Street.

Phone: 04 471 8250