A constant stream of volunteers is needed to fill the gaps where vulnerable people fall between business and government. In the past couple of years, I’ve seen a surge of young people — those under the age of 30 — wanting to be actively involved with causes close to their hearts.

On 8 May we mark World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day – a global day to celebrate the uniqueness and unity of our international Movement. We celebrate the millions of people around the world, who — through our Movement — provide hope and dignity during some of the darkest days of people’s lives.

We asked some of our leaders what the day means to them – hope, inspiration, and pride are just some of what they feel when marking the day.

As we celebrate all Red Cross people on World Red Cross Red Crescent Day this year, we asked, what are the values of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, shared by New Zealand Red Cross, and why should we care about them? Secretary-General Sarah Stuart-Black and Fiona Ross – General Manager People Experience and Support Fiona explain.

ASB is our newest Disaster Response Alliance partner. The Disaster Response Alliance is a critical way for businesses to provide ongoing support for our disaster response work and to strengthen community resilience.

As part of the Realising 2030 organisational change process, we moved from 15 area councils to seven on 1 July 2023. The new area model is intended to strengthen how we provide services and generate revenue, as well as provide a basis for growing and supporting our members and those who volunteer their time.