News and updates

It can be hard to keep up to date with everything that is going on. This page has information about all our communication channels.

Keeping up to date

This website is the best place to keep up to date. You can:

We communicate regularly to all our members and volunteers via email. When you join as a member, we add you to our mailing list.

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Honouring the life and contributions of Sir Kenneth Keith

New Zealand Red Cross is deeply saddened by the passing of The Right Honourable Justice Sir Kenneth Keith ONZ KBE KC.

Sir Kenneth was one of New Zealand’s most respected authorities on international law and international humanitarian law, and a longstanding and deeply valued contributor to New Zealand Red Cross.

As inaugural Chair of the New Zealand International Humanitarian Law Committee, Sir Kenneth helped shape understanding of international humanitarian law in Aotearoa New Zealand for more than four decades. He was also a passionate supporter of the New Zealand Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot competition, mentoring and inspiring generations of law students and emerging legal professionals.

Sir Kenneth’s contribution to humanitarian law, public service, legal education and international justice was immense, and his wisdom and generosity left a lasting impact on many across the humanitarian and legal communities.

Our thoughts are with Jocelyn, Lady Keith, their whānau and all those mourning his passing.

Moe mai rā e te rangatira, e moe.

End of year actions calendar for branches and area councils (FY 2025/26)

To support great local delivery, our area councils and branches have important end‑of‑year planning, reporting, governance, and financial actions to action related to the end of the 2025/26 financial year.

If you have any questions or need support, please contact your Area Support Team either directly or via membership@redcross.org.nz.

Date	Area councils	Branches
31 May		If needed, send applications to retain funds over $10K to area councils.
15 June	Process branch applications to retain $10-15K If needed, send applications to retain funds over $15K to National Board
30 June	Thank and offboard officials ending their terms	Schedule branch AGMs, confirm branch committee vacancies and provide them to the Area’s Senior Area Partner Thank and offboard officials ending their terms
7 July	If needed, send provisional area account statements as at 30 June to Finance	Provisional branch account statements as at 30 June due to Finance
15 July	Hold Area Annual Meetings, elect Area officials for FY26/27	Hold branch AGMs, elect branch committee for FY26-29
31 July	Share minutes from area annual meetings and branch AGMs with Area Support Team Update activity statuses in 2025/26 area plans and share good news stories highlighting local impact Remit any surplus funds over approved limits to the fundraising bank account	Send branch annual and financial reports to area councils and Finance team If needed, send your AGM branch official elections results for ratification by Area Councils Remit any surplus funds over approved limits to the fundraising bank account

Fundraising

Fundraising toolkits and templates

See our range of resources available for planning your next fundraising event:

Planning your fundraising event

Red Cross members, volunteers and employees can also access a branch fundraising toolkit:

Branch fundraising toolkit (PDF, 17MB)

Disaster and emergency support

New Zealand Disaster Fund

See a full breakdown of how the Fund was spent and its impact, read stories on the Cyclone Gabrielle response and recovery, and find information on mental health training and caring for yourself and others during an emergency.

Visit our New Zealand Disaster Fund hub

Good and Ready Essentials – a step-by-step guide to preparedness

Disasters and emergencies can strike Aotearoa New Zealand at any time, without warning. It is important for us, as members of the New Zealand Red Cross, to be well prepared. When we are prepared we can continue to assist those in need during an emergency or disaster, and helps us and our households to cope.

Visit the New Zealand Red Cross Good and Ready webpage:

Prepare for a disaster – get Good and Ready

We encourage you to complete all the steps on the page so that we all have a plan and know what to do when an emergency or disaster strikes. Good and Ready connects to NEMA disaster preparedness resources, which are available in a variety of languages.

We’ve switched off the Hazard App

From 2015, the Hazard App was available publicly to support communities before, during and after disasters. The app was able to issue hazard alerts.

Since then, there have been many changes in New Zealand’s approach to hazard alerting and there are now a range of ways people can stay informed during emergencies.

Find out more

Learning and development courses

DNA of the Red Cross

DNA of the Red Cross is a workshop to introduce people to the ‘building blocks of the Red Cross’ – humanitarian law, our Fundamental Principles, and the values that underpin the wider Movement.

We hold workshops around twice a year.

Find out about these workshops

Health, safety, and wellbeing

Get involved

If you want to contribute to building a positive culture around health, safety, and wellbeing at Red Cross, then we need you!

Everyone has a role to play in making sure Red Cross is a healthy and safe place to work and participate in volunteering activities.

Expressions of interest are available for those who want to get involved and support health, safety, and wellbeing in your volunteering activity group.

Visit our health, safety and wellbeing webpage for more

Our EAP provider - TELUS Health

We changed to a new Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provider TELUS Health on 1 November 2023 to provide a more comprehensive range of mental health and wellbeing resources to our people. For further details and how to access this support, or to find out what to do if you are currently accessing EAP through the previous provider, please visit the volunteers page on our website.

Health, safety and wellbeing resources

Guidelines on returning to work or volunteering after injury or illness

Rehabilitation and return to work or volunteering activities guidelines Oct 2023 (PDF file, 249KB)

What's new in our Regulations

Between March and November 2024, we reviewed the Members’ Handbook and created our new Regulations document. We've put together an outline of what we heard during consultation rounds and how our Regulations have changed to reflect your feedback.

What's new in our Regulations (PDF, 137KB)

Realising 2030

Realising 2030 is our plan to deliver the changes that will make Strategy 2030 possible. One of the first visible changes is the establishment of a new area model on 1 July 2023.

Find out details of the new areas

Regular publications

Inside RED is distributed monthly by email and is for members, volunteers and staff. We email a copy to members and volunteers. If you haven't been receiving 'Inside RED' you can sign up.

Sign up for Inside RED

IHL Champions Newsletter is prepared by international humanitarian law volunteers and our IHL Principal Advisor and distributed bimonthly by email. Sign up to get these newsletters straight into your inbox.

Get IHL Champions Newsletter

Social media channels

To make the most of keeping up-to-date with everything going on in Red Cross around Aotearoa, follow us on our social media channels – links are at the bottom of this page in the footer.

If you're sharing our content on social media you need to be familiar with our media and social media policies.

Intranet

Branch presidents, area council chairs, and their deputies can log in to the Intranet to access updates for office holders, file committee meeting minutes, and access online dashboards that show the latest membership data.

Information about logging in to the Intranet

Latest stories for and about our people

25 August 2025

Wherever the need is greatest – 65 years of our International Delegate Programme

Since 1960, we’ve sent team members overseas on more than 1,000 assignments to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity on the front line.

Service, sacrifice, and loss – Red Cross in Viet Nam

This year marks 50 years since the end of international armed conflict in Viet Nam. Between 1968 and 1975, we sent more than 30 team members to help people affected by the conflict. This Vietnam Veterans’ Day, we’re taking the time to remember our people who dedicated their time to upholding human dignity and protecting humanity in Viet Nam.

‘We came as individuals, we left as a family’ – building first aid capability across the Pacific

When our International Delegate Lesley Jacobson arrived in Fiji to train first aid instructors from across the Pacific, she knew she was there to teach, but she didn’t expect how much she would learn too.

Disaster and emergency support

Myanmar Earthquake Appeal

Image of a poster for the Myanmar Earthquake Appeal March 2025 We’ve launched an appeal to support those affected by the devastating earthquake in Myanmar.

Donations raised will support the efforts of Red Cross Red Crescent teams through the response and recovery, helping to provide urgent relief such as temporary shelter and emergency supplies.

The damage to people’s lives and livelihoods from the 7.7 magnitude earthquake on Friday 28 March, and subsequent aftershocks, is immense. The quakes caused widespread damage, loss of life, and left many injured, and in need of food, shelter and medical assistance.

The situation is still developing, and humanitarian aid is urgently needed. Our thoughts are with all the people affected by this devastating earthquake.

Key links

Donate via our appeal webpage: Myanmar Earthquakes Appeal
Share this appeal webpage link: redcross.org.nz/myanmar-quake
Create your own fundraiser: Red Cross Raisely webpage

Key resources

Email banner/header (PNG, 730KB)
Email signature (PNG, KMB)
(open and right-click to 'save image' and then add to your email)

See all our current appeals