Most Of The British Public Don't Know That Red Cross Can Help In An Emergency

Wednesday 08 May 2002

Most British people wouldn't know who to turn to following flooding or a fire at home, the British Red Cross said today. In a new report, based on a MORI Social Research Institute survey, and launched on International Red Cross Day, the charity says that almost a third of Britons couldn't name an organisation which provided practical assistance after flooding, while over half were unable to identify an organisation offering emotional support. Yet five million people in England and Wales live in flood risk areas.

Almost half of the British public don't know of any organisation which helps victims after a fire at home — yet there are around 660,000 domestic fires in the UK every year.

Notes:

The British Red Cross, as an auxiliary to the UK government, supports the UK statutory services by responding to emergencies such as the Omagh bombing, Paddington rail crash and severe weather conditions in the UK. The charity also provides care in the community for people in crisis, helping thousands of vulnerable people each year through a range of services, from first aid cover at public events to transport for those unable, through old age and infirmity, to make essential journeys. For further information, go to www.redcross.org.uk

Copies of the new British Red Cross report "Who Cares? British Red Cross volunteers: the neighbours you didn't know you had" are available on request. A separate executive summary is also available.

Red Cross Week runs from 5-11 May 2002.

To help fundraise for Red Cross Week, people all over Britain are holding 'Big Sizzle' barbecues. To hold a barbecue, call the hotline on 0800-45 44 43 or go to www.redcross.org.uk/bigsizzle

British Red Cross — Emergencies and the Public: Topline Results

• MORI interviewed a representative quota sample of 2,287 adults aged 16+ across Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Interviews were conducted by in-home, face-to-face between 22-26 February, 2002
• Data are weighted to the known population profile
• '*' indicates a value of less than half of one per cent but greater than zero
• Where results do not sum to 100, this may be due to multiple answers or computer rounding

Q1 As far as you know, which organisations, if any, help victims of a house fire after the fire service has left?

Q2 Which organisations would you contact, if any, if you knew of an elderly or disabled person who needed help with daily living activities after leaving hospital or when their regular carer was away?

Q3 If you wanted to learn more about basic first aid training, which organisations, if any, might you contact?

Q4 And if you had hurt yourself in an accident and needed a wheelchair, which organisations, if any, would you approach for one?

Q5 Now imagine that you couldn't get hold of a member of your family overseas following a conflict or natural disaster there. Which organisations, if any, would you turn to for help?

Q6 Imagine that you had to be evacuated from your house because of flooding. Which organisations, if any, would you expect to provide … a) practical support? b) emotional support?