Red Cross: ‘Helping others is my mission’
Nothing stops British Red Cross hero Nicola Stoves getting emergency supplies to people in need in remote Scottish communities
When Nicola Stoves receives a far-off cry for help, it doesn’t matter how many trains, boats and planes it’ll take, but she’ll reach them somehow.
“I’m a fairly determined person,” laughs the 42-year-old British Red Cross manager from Shetland.
For that, people all over the remote highlands and islands of Scotland who’ve received vital supplies of food, medicine, money – or even a fridge – thanks to her during the past year, can be grateful.
Not that modest Nicola, who organises everything by phone and computer helped by an army of far-flung ‘superstar’ volunteers, is looking for gratitude. “Anything I can do to make things easier for others, is what drives me,” she adds. In recent times, Nicola’s fierce resolve has been tested to the limit. For months she worked nearly every day from her home office in Lerwick making sure that nobody went hungry or was left in a dangerous situation no matter how many miles away they may be. And though experience of the current situation has helped Nicola and her crisis response team cope better with the problems caused by the last year, it’s never going to be an easy job.
“Initially there were lots of tears because of Covid, but they’ve become less because of what we’ve developed. It’s still a constant battle fighting fires at the moment but it’s keeping us busy and the days pass quickly!” she says.
Nicola’s varied role can involve coordinating welfare visits and patient
‘It has astounded me how many people are willing to help others in their own backyard’
transport as well as distributing personal protection equipment to care homes and surgeries and providing assistance to several food banks and councils. When one vulnerable women in a particularly remote area urgently needed a replacement fridge to store her son’s special medication, Nicola successfully launched an appeal to find one on social media.
“We were the last resort. Shops were closed and we had to really think outside the box but within half an hour of the appeal, somebody phoned in to say they had one. It made a huge difference to that family.
“It’s astounded me how many people are willing to help others in their own backyard. It’s really humbling,” adds Nicola whose own personal story is equally humbling.
After losing her father suddenly at the age of ten, Nicola became the main carer for her mother, who had multiple health problems. Despite being classed as an underprivileged child, she gained a degree in social work and has carved out a caring career that has earned her a British Empire Medal in the New Year’s honours’ list.
“It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done, you always have a chance to do things better and make things right. Everybody has got choices. I am a firm believer in that. All of us are one decision away from a different life.”
Much of Nicola’s positive outlook she credits to her mum, Margaret, who died of cancer last October. But after taking a fortnight off to make funeral arrangements, Nicola, whose husband is disabled, was back at her desk organising help for people in urgent need while also supervising the home schooling of her two teenage boys.
“I coped by keeping myself busy and focused. Crafting has helped as I began creating memorial items out of resin.”
Knowing how proud her mum would be of her work has also helped Nicola, who acknowledges that her difficult childhood was bearable because they had a good relationship.
“Mum was very kind. She would do anything and everything for anybody. She was also an eternal optimist which I guess is what shaped my own optimism. She always taught me that nothing was plain sailing and that the next day would be a better day than the one before.”
Not surprisingly, when Nicola learnt about her medal for services to the community, the first person she would have loved to call was her mum.
“It was a huge surprise; a massive surprise,” she recalls.” I am not a person who does anything to put myself in
‘All of us are one decision away from a different life’
the limelight but it was really nice that people had taken the trouble to nominate me.
“I nearly refused it but Mum always liked any recognition for me. As a student I was nominated for an award and turned it down which Mum was cross about.
“To know that I was getting a real medal from the Queen, she would have been ecstatic, so I knew I had to accept it in her honour. This one’s for Mum! As a Yours reader, Mum would have been absolutely delighted for me to be in Yours magazine too!”
British Red Cross Chief Executive Mike Adamson added: “Nicola is a true humanitarian and works tirelessly to support vulnerable people when they need it most, especially this past year.
“We are profoundly fortunate to have her in the team. She is a true ambassador for the Red Cross and we are delighted to see her honoured in this way. I would like to thank Nicola for her continued passion for helping to make a difference.”
■ The British Red Cross has reached more than 1.5 million people since the start of the pandemic. To donate, visit redcross.org.uk/ get-involved/donate