2. IN THIS ISSUE
Page 4
Youth education
Page 5
Preston’s new refugee drop-in
Pages 6 - 7
Area news
NEW FOUNDATION TRAINING
PROGRAMME (FTP)
From October this replaced the following
courses for volunteers and staff:
− Welcome Workshop
− General health and safety
− Fire safety
− Information Governance
− Lone working and personal safety
− Safeguarding children and young
people
− Safeguarding adults
− Save a Life
− Safer Handling A and D
− CALMER
− Equality and diversity
− Professional boundaries
− Effective communication
It’s a 3 day mandatory course (no APEL).
An ID number and completion of pre-
course work (eLearning) is required and
people need to book themselves on.
Any queries please email:
PandLNorthWest@redcross.org.uk
Welcome to this issue of Local Life.
For me, one sentence describes our
team in the North West: rising to the
challenge. Since the last newsletter
we have responded to more victims
of modern slavery in Manchester,
secured more support at home work,
delivered high quality event first
aid service at Tough Mudder and
our teams continue to provide compassion and
knowledgeable advice to a huge increase in the
numbers of asylum seekers and refugees in the North
West (50% higher than expected). Wow!
You may have heard that the British Red Cross is
changing. Public expectations of our services, our
fundraising and our ability to sustain operations have
changed and we must adapt. This change programme
includes: the way we buy things, where we are located,
how we meet people and learning needs, how we
structure our pay for staff and most crucially - how
services are structured in the UK. I think you'll agree this
is substantial.
Final decisions on what to change will be made at the
end of 2015 and more detail then worked on in 2016.
The organisation may look very different in months to
come. The Area volunteers’ council and I will soon offer
a range of ways for people to talk with us and ask
questions - the 2013 'Have your say' survey asked us all
to respect each other and communicate in advance of
decisions, even if this means we cannot answer
everything. That is what we intend to do.
Changing ourselves to meet the needs of the future,
while growing our services to meet local need is no easy
task. I am so grateful for all you do to contribute to this
mission and live up to the high expectations of the
people we serve.
Thank you for rising to the challenge, Dom
Best wishes,
Dom
Dominic Briant, interim Area operations director
Direct dial: 01772 707 326
Email: DBriant@redcross.org.uk
REFUSING TO IGNORE PEOPLE IN CRISIS
Welcome
In 2016 look out for:
> Volunteer and staff Social and Awards
Evening dates.
> The new Area Ambulance fundraising
Appeal.
6. and ER volunteers represented
Cover story continued:
Event first aid (EFA) Heroes
Volunteers Colin Stokes, 35, and Matt Jones, 21,
had packed up at the end of a Tranmere Rovers
match, when they saw Tony Taylor, 53, a football
photographer collapse as he talked on the phone.
Together the pair provided life-saving first aid until
paramedics arrived. Colin, who began volunteering
with the Red Cross three years ago and is now
qualified as an ambulance crew member, said: “As
Matt and I were chatting there was a guy on the
phone and as we were watching him he fell forward
and collapsed. Because we were so close, we were
on him within about five seconds of him collapsing.
CPR is the thing you practice most but do the least.
But when you do it, you just go into automatic mode -
you know exactly what you need to do.”
Once at the scene, paramedics used a defibrillator
and heart monitor to get Mr Taylor’s heart back into a
normal rhythm. Colin and Matt then continued to
provide oxygen and monitor his condition until
another ambulance arrived and he could be
transferred to hospital. Mr Taylor is due to have a
triple heart bypass operation, and plans to meet
Colin, Matt and the other volunteers when he is
better to say thank you.
Matt, said: “For me it just shows you can be
anywhere at any time and someone can collapse
right in front of you - it shows how important it is to
know first aid and how to save a life.”
NWAS paramedic James Woollacott, who witnessed
the volunteers’ work, said:
“The Red Cross volunteers contributed significantly
to the saving of life on this occasion. They were the
real driving force in making sure circulation was
restored and when myself and my colleague arrived
resuscitation was well underway. These guys are
heroes in our eyes - dedicating their time for the
sake of others and as such we look forward to
working alongside them in the future.”
Fire and emergency support (FES)
On Saturday 10 September volunteers Rukia (Roo)
Shepherd and Iris Ferreira responded to a call-out
from the Fire Service to attend and assist at a fatal
flat fire at a supported housing scheme in Stretford.
The request came before the time both were due to
be on call but agreed without hesitation to go out to
support these people in crisis (Roo quickly making
care arrangements for her three children). Some 27
residents were displaced from their flats as a result
of the fire in which one person died.
Iris and Roo gathered information upon arrival at the
scene and assessed the most urgent need. They
provided food and drinks for the residents and staff,
as well as further practical and emotional support.
Later in the evening Iris drove the FES vehicle to
transport several residents to their emergency hotel
accommodation.
The FES service response on the night of the
incident was so professional and efficient that the
Red Cross gained the confidence of the staff and are
continuing support for residents. Staff and the Fire
Service were so impressed with the support they
asked if we could return a couple of nights later to
offer emotional support as some residents returned
to their homes. Without any hesitation, Roo offered
to attend with a colleague. Residents were reassured
to see a familiar face they could trust and clearly
warmed to Roo’s compassionate, sensitive yet
upbeat attitude.
Mark Murphy, Fire Service Protection Manager said:
“With regards to the complexity surrounding the
temporary displacement of the residents and the
obvious emotional stresses caused by the serious
nature of the incident, I can’t say enough how
valuable and important your teams contribution to
the safety and wellbeing of the residents was.”
Watch Manager Todd Welsh added:
“Please thank Roo and Iris for their consummate
professional and tireless hard work over the course
of the evening.”
Area news
