Australian Red Cross

Australian Red Cross About

The Australian Red Cross, formally the Australian Red Cross Society, is a humanitarian aid and community services charity in Australia. Tracing its history back to 1923 and being incorporated by royal charter in 1941, the Australian Red Cross is the national member of the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and part of the International Red Cross Movement. The Australian Red Cross is guided by the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and as such is a non-religious, neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian organisation.

What kind of work?

The Australian Red Cross provides a range of services and programs including international aid across the Asia-Pacific region, international humanitarian law advocacy, migration support, emergency management, blood donation via Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, and community services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, youth, families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.

Location

All major cities, several smaller cities across the country

Student Opportunities

The Australian Red Cross provides many volunteering opportunities in the following fields: - Community service - Emergency services (e.g. disaster relief) - Retail, customer service and administration

You can find out more about volunteering opportunities here: https://www.redcross.org.au/get-involved/connect/volunteer

Graduate Opportunities

The Australian Red Cross accepts applications for roles in various fields, including: - Administration - Operations & logistics - Case work - Safety and emergency relief

You can find out more about paid opportunities here: https://www.redcross.org.au/about/careers

Fun Fact / Recent Project

Bushfire Recovery Program Due to the generosity of donors, the Australian Red Cross has: - provided 5,380 people with financial assistance grants - helped 722 people to apply for a grant for the first time between July and September - supported 12,635 people in 47 local government areas with the recovery program.

A further $12m was received into the Disaster Relief and Recovery fund since June 2020, taking the total to $239m. This reflects the global support for the bushfire response, coming from both corporate organisations and Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies that had pledged funds during the fires and provided them after the financial year had ended. These funds have been gratefully received and allocated for emerging needs and people experiencing ongoing hardship.