British Red Cross appeals for more volunteers in West Sussex

The British Red Cross in west Sussex is calling for more volunteers to join their team. The current crew, based at East Preston fire station, say volunteering is ‘so heartening’ and ‘makes you feel ten feet tall.’

Offering up their time to the local community, Trevor Brown, Alan Kinsella, Nick Mailer and Wendy Marshall form part of the East Preston Emergency Response team.

Its newest recruit, 66-year-old Trevor Brown, joined the Red Cross as a volunteer in March and has since been to eight deployments in just three months. The former chef said he feels he is ‘making a difference’ and wishes he had ‘joined the team sooner’.

In May the volunteers helped welcome Sudanese refugees to the UK at Stansted and Gatwick airports. They helped provide emotional and practical support to the refugees.

Trevor said it was ‘eye opening and mind blowing’ to see the refugees arriving with just a shopping bag’s worth of possessions because they had fled in haste. Trevor spent time in Saudi Arabia in the past so speaks some Arabic and was able to speak in Arabic with some of them.

He said: “People came over and shook my hand and thanked us for the help and it was very humbling. It makes you feel ten feet tall.”

Nick Mailer, an interior designer, has been part of the team for over a year and had the unique opportunity to assist the queues at Queen Elizabeth II’s lying in state in September last year.

Stationed outside the Houses of Parliament, he described it as a ‘once in a lifetime experience’ and said there were thousands of people from all backgrounds and ages who were cold, tired and hungry, but uttered ‘not one cross word.’ He even saw David Beckham in the queue.

Alan Kinsella, who has a background in accounting, says he volunteers to ‘give something back to the local community and to get a great sense of achievement’.

The volunteers all said they were very proud of their work and want more members of the public to consider joining. If you are interested, please contact [email protected] or apply online at https://www.redcross.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer#How%20to%20apply