FROM THE FIELD

• The Irish Red Cross is part of the world\x92s largest voluntary movement \x96 the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement - with 97 million volunteers in 185 countries, that\x92s one member in nearly every sixty people on the planet.
• The Red Cross and Red Crescent movement and its founders have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize a total of 4 times \x96 more often than any other single entity in the history of the award.
• 16 Irish Red Cross members will be honoured for their years of voluntary service at a special event on Saturday 17 November next.
• This event will mark their achievement and their first-hand experience of some of the most newsworthy events in late 20th Century Ireland, including the outbreak of the \x93troubles\x94, major disasters, and early refugees coming to Ireland as well as the less-told story of individual tragedy and survival that Red Cross volunteers deal with every day.
• Members of voluntary organisations in Ireland \x96 such as the Irish Red Cross - contribute up to half a billion Euro worth of services to their communities, according to an official government report
• The number of people who give their time as volunteers across all organisations in Ireland increased from 17% to 23% in 2006.
• According to the Census 2006, the total amount of people who participated in one or more voluntary activities was 553,255 . This represents a population larger than Dublin City!
• New members are always welcome to join the Irish Red Cross (see www.redcross.ie ), with up to 1,000 people joining in the last year and a half and the foundation of 18 entirely new Branches around the country to deliver life-saving heart-resuscitation services in their own communities.
• Members of our Search and Rescue Services (lake and mountain) gave 7,600 hours in total of their time to training, managing, finding and saving people in danger in 2006. Like many of our members these people are on a 24/7/365 roster and in total their work at 20 hours a day is the same as climbing Mount Everest every day of the year at record speed!
• Members of the Irish Red Cross and other voluntary agencies can be called upon to help people in an emergency and this work is formally recognised in the government\x92s plan to deal with emergencies.
• The Irish Red Cross is the most widely recognised provider of First Aid training in Ireland.
• Members of the Irish Red Cross are constantly training to improve their own skills and fundraising to upgrade their equipment and vehicles.
• More than \x805 million has been invested in the last five years by the Irish Red Cross in providing 76 new and improved ambulances to local communities around the country.
• The Irish Cross has 110 branches throughout Ireland, the most northerly at Malin Head and the most southerly at Bantry, Co. Cork.
• The Irish Red Cross welcomes new members and new opportunities to provide our services to communities around Ireland. We offer the following:

• • Training in Home Caring

  • Training in Therapeutic Hand Care

  • Skin Camouflage Service for people with birthmarks or scars

  • International Tracing & Red Cross Message Services

  • Asylum & Family Reunification Service

  • Youth Activities

  • First Aid Training and Services

  • Overseas funds and skilled personnel

• The Irish Red Cross recently launched the \x93Handbook for Carers\x94 \x96 described as an \x93absolutely brilliant book\x94 by RTɒs Pat Kenny - this invaluable guide would make an ideal Christmas present for many of Ireland\x92s 150,000 Carers who look after people in their own homes. Copies available while stocks last at Eason\x92s and all good bookshops nationwide

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]