|
Where 2005 was dominated by major disasters, such as the Pakistan earthquake and London bombings, the past 12 months have been defined by our efforts to bring hope back into people’s lives. Throughout the world, we have been helping many communities struck by earlier disasters to recover and rebuild their livelihoods. In Pakistan and across tsunami-ravaged Indonesia, for example, families can now look forward to a new beginning.
However, new disasters and conflicts inevitably arose, leaving thousands of people homeless and injured, and needing our immediate assistance.
As part of a global humanitarian network – the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement – the British Red Cross has been ideally placed to help people in crisis across the world and in the UK.
Last year, for example, the neutrality of the Red Cross meant that those trapped by the conflict in the Middle East could depend on the Movement to deliver medical care and supplies. And for those affected by the earthquake on the Indonesian island of Java and the worsening food crisis across Africa, our ongoing support saved lives.
At home, we attended hundreds of emergency call-outs last year. For thousands of people caught up in everything from major industrial blazes to domestic fires and road accidents, our volunteers and staff were a regular and welcome sight.
As a leading emergency response organisation, we also offered support when thousands of passengers were stranded during last summer’s security alerts at Glasgow and Heathrow airports. In addition, we joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in assisting British nationals caught up in disasters overseas.
During the year, we launched the Life. Live it. campaign, aimed at inspiring more young people to learn life-saving skills. We also established a unique first aid programme designed to include groups and individuals with disabilities. And our two-year research project to ensure we reach vulnerable people made good progress, with four innovative pilot projects launched across the UK.
Donors continued to give generously to our work, with more people supporting us than ever before. In March, we were chosen as Tesco’s Charity of the Year for 2007. We are also delighted to have entered a three year advisory relationship with the London partners of management consultants Booz Allen Hamilton. And as ever, we depended on our volunteers and staff to achieve so much, for which we must express our enormous thanks. | 
