150 years of history _ Join our movement of kindness _ British Red Cross

Transcript

00:00For 150 years, our people have been putting the power of kindness into action.

00:07They are trailblazers, changemakers and lifesavers of the British Red Cross.

00:14Our very first volunteers helped pave the way for countless more,

00:18like Princess Safiya Duleep Singh, one of the thousands of VAD nurses who cared for the sick and wounded during World War I,

00:26and other volunteers who continued to help people as the war ended and influenza hit the nation hard,

00:33showing extraordinary bravery to be there for those who needed it most.

00:38Volunteer Percy Lane Oliver set up the UK's first ever blood donation service,

00:44and during the Second World War, our volunteers helped families to trace their missing loved ones,

00:49a service we still run today for refugees.

00:53We've been working alongside the NHS from day one,

00:57and with Land Rover ever since the 50s, when they started donating vehicles

01:02so workers like Joan Whittington could reach people in places they couldn't before.

01:08When a mining disaster left the community of Aberfan stricken with grief,

01:12volunteers like John Cole were there to support with kindness.

01:19And years later, workers like Helen Cookson stood firmly alongside refugees in Hong Kong fleeing the war in Vietnam.

01:28Princess Diana visited Angola's active minefields with us, leading to a ban on anti-personnel mines.

01:35Our Boxing Day tsunami appeal saw an unparalleled outpouring of kindness from the British public.

01:42In 2017, our teams responded to a UK emergency every four hours.

01:49And, after years of campaigning, got first aid on school curriculums in 2019,

01:55so that more children like Stephen know how to save a life.

02:00At the turn of this decade, when the coronavirus pandemic broke out,

02:04thousands joined our movement to support the most vulnerable people.

02:10As we move forward, our vision of a world where everyone gets the help they need in a crisis will be more important than ever.

02:17Working together, we will harness the power of kindness to build connected communities

02:23that stand strong in the face of the future, whatever it brings.