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British Red Cross homepage

Explore our 150 year history: from founding to today

We have always been quick to act when needed and simple acts of kindness are threaded throughout our history.

  • The beginning of the Red Cross

    Our history starts with Swiss businessman Henry Dunant’s compassion for people fighting on both sides of a war.

  • Museum and archives

    Information about our collections, which contain a fascinating portrait of our humanitarian work.

  • The First World War

    Browse photos and stories and search for your family's personnel cards to discover what 90,000 Red Cross volunteers did during the war.

  • The Second World War

    We worked at home and abroad to help the sick and wounded, prisoners of war and civilians in need of relief.

For more than 150 years we have been there for people who have nowhere else to turn, and we won’t stop now. By giving monthly, you can become part of something bigger, offering hope, support and stability to people in crisis.

Donate to the British Red Cross

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