Get help

We're here to support you

We provide practical, local and emotional support to people around the UK. Find out how we can help you or someone you care for, and learn more about our services.

British Red Cross volunteer helps an older man get out and about

The British Red Cross has been a lifeline for people in crisis for over 150 years. Today, in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, that lifeline means more than ever.

Thanks to our dedicated team of Red Cross Volunteers, we’re able to provide services specifically designed to help people most in need in the UK.

If you or someone you care for needs support, we may be able to help.

On this page you'll find:

  • Emotional support
  • Mobility aids services
  • Refugee services
  • Help at home
  • Financial support
  • Help to find missing family

We also provide a range of free mental health resources and practical advice on how to prepare for emergencies.

Emotional support

Life can feel lonely and overwhelming at times, but it’s important to remember that you are not alone. Our support line team and loneliness services are ready to listen.

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Loneliness services

If you or someone you know is feeling alone or isolated, we can connect you with people in your community and provide useful resources on how to cope. 

Get help with loneliness
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British Red Cross support line

The Red Cross support line is staffed by experienced Red Cross volunteers who can provide emotional support in more than 200 languages.  

Call our support line

Mobility aids services

Our Mobility Aids Service provides specialist equipment to support people in the UK with mobility needs.

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Hire a toilet aid

Our Mobility Aids team can assist in hiring a commode, toilet frame or toilet seat for short-term use, or you can buy one. 

Hire a toilet aid
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Borrow or Hire a wheelchair

Red Cross wheelchairs are available for anyone over the age of 5 years old. You can hire a wheelchair for short-term use or we may be able to assist in a loan.  

Get a Red Cross wheelchair

Refugee services

We provide emergency support for refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants, including victims of trafficking.

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Support for refugees

Connect with our local refugee services for emergency refugee support including help with clothing, trafficking, life in the UK and more, in your local area.

Get refugee support
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Support for young refugees (age 15-25)

If you are a refugee, asylum seeker or vulnerable migrant aged 15 to 25, we may be able to offer more practical support. Learn more about our services. 

Young refugee and migrant support

Support at home

We provide support and care for vulnerable people who live independently at home, or people who need support at home following a hospital stay.

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Prescriptions and transport

If you have limited mobility and need transport to get to medical appointments or help with picking up prescriptions, we may be able to help.

Practical support at home
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Shopping and daily essentials

Our local support team can also assist in picking up shopping, providing companionship and rebuilding confidence.

Help with shopping and essentials

Financial support

We provide advice on where to find free financial support in the UK, and offer emergency financial support for UK victims or terrorism overseas.

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Get help with money problems

If you or someone you care for is experiencing financial difficulty, we can offer advice on where to get financial help for money, rent and bills. 

Get help with money problems
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UK victims of terrorism abroad

If you’ve been seriously injured or bereaved by terrorist incidents overseas we may be able to provide immediate, and long-term financial support.

Support for UK victims of terrorism

Help to find missing family

We offer a free and confidential international family tracing service to help families separated due to war, natural disaster or migration. 

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Find missing family

If you would like to find your missing family, reconnect or send a message, our international family tracing service may be able to help. 

Find missing family
An illustration shows the moment Faridun and his wife were introduced to Henry at the Red Cross Family Tracing office in Leeds

The impact: a family reunited

Learn more about the impact our family tracing service, and how a family torn 3,000 miles apart, with no known address, were reconnected during the pandemic. 

Reunited in a global pandemic

How to give help

We couldn’t run our services without the support of our committed volunteers and the people who generously donate to us.

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Become a volunteer

If you too believe in the power of kindness, volunteer for the Red Cross. Together we can make a difference.

Volunteer opportunities
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Donate

Donation, large or small, can make a significant difference to people in need. Learn more about our appeals or donate to wherever the need is greatest.

Donate today
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Learn First Aid

Learn the key skills needed to save a life with our up-to-date first aid apps, tips and advice.

Learn first aid
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Every Refugee Matters

Help us show the very best of humankind by standing with us to say that every refugee matters.

Take the pledge