150 years of Red Cross Red and Red Crescent Movement

I was delighted to receive an invitation to a private Garden Party to celebrate 150 years of the Red Cross Movement. It was situated in the beautiful college gardens of Westminster Abbey by permission of the Dean and Chapter. I learnt that College Gardens had been used as an infirmary for monks and others since 960 AD, and that the monks planted herbs and tended to the gardens which lie facing the tower and spectacular architecture of Westminster Abbey.
I felt most privileged to have had this opportunity and to meet Sir Nicholas Young and the Dean of Westminster, who kindly posed for a photograph in the gardens.
We were educated in some interesting details about The Red Cross Movement, and the story of its inception by an ardent Swiss businessman, Henry Dunant, inspired me to get out there and make a difference! I was also amazed at the variety of humanitarian aid that The British Red Cross is involved in. One sees an image of Red Cross helpers in a disaster zone somewhere in the world on average about once a week. What we don't see is the day to day help that volunteers and Red Cross workers provide which has become part of the intricate weave of our daily life - the help with the elderly, with refugees and vulnerable people in our community, and first aid courses for schools, booklets and now even easily downloadable apps which could help even those with little first aid knowldege to save a life. redcross.org.uk/app

The evening was accompanied by the most delicious and exotic looking canapes and champagne, which we enjoyed while viewing a number of displays and chatting to Red Cross Workers about the particular areas that they are involved in.

If you want to know a little bit more about what my family are doing to support The Red Cross please look at The Thames River Scoot