Red Cross looking for community volunteers

THE British Red Cross responds to an emergency every four hours in the UK — from fires, extreme weather and flooding, to national emergencies, including acts of terror. However, it’s not just emergency services and the Government that can help in these response efforts.

According to a new report published by the British Red Cross and Aviva, the majority of people (92%) in Northern Ireland say, if an emergency happened in their community, they would want to get involved. Yet almost half (45%) of people would not know what to do if a disaster struck.

In partnership with Aviva, we are calling on people in Northern Ireland to sign up to a new scheme called Community Reserve Volunteers to help create a national network of 10,000 people ready to help in a local emergency.

Everyone has a role to play when disaster strikes: even the smallest act of kindness can make a huge difference.

It’s quick and easy to sign up online. You don’t need specialist skills — and we need your help now more than ever. So, please sign up today. It takes just 10 minutes at: www. redcross.org.uk/reserves.

SIMON LEWIS

Head of crisis response, British Red Cross

Please note that letters should be short and to the point. Letters will be edited as deemed necessary and should be authenticated with a full name and postal address, not necessarily for publication. A daytime telephone number would also be useful.