OPTIONS is a structured awards programme for all Irish Red Cross Youth Members aged 5 - 25 years.
OPTIONS is all about giving choices to young people in the programmes that we run. We hope that this programme will local units, branches and areas when planning activities and that it will help our young members grow both as individuals and as members of the Irish Red Cross.
The OPTIONS programme was introduced by the Outdoor Pursuits Team in 1988 with the aim of providing a structured awards programme for young members. Many members participated in all the three levels of the Awards and gained valuable skills and experience. Above all though, they had fun!
The current National Youth Working Group has revamped OPTIONS and hopes that you will all find it useful. Within the OPTIONS programme, there are eight different categories of activities and three different levels of awards, Bronze, Silver and Gold
The eight categories are:
1. Outdoor Pursuits
2. Communication
3. Environmental Awareness
4. Personal development 5. Community Service
6. Sports, Leisure and Health
7. International and Cultural Understanding
8. Disaster and First Aid Training
Out of these eight activities the young person must choose six to complete the award.
Leaders’ manual is available from Irish Red Cross Head Office at a cost of €30.00 pp
Participant packs are available from Irish Red Cross Head office at a cost of €7.00 pp
How it works
• Complete the participant registration forms return to the Youth Department
• Registered participants receive participants pack (cost 5 euro)
• Keep records of activities in participants’ logbook
• Fill out completion sheets and return to Youth Department
• Certificates will be posted to Youth leader for presentation
What activities* can I do?
The leaders pack will provide you with suggestions for activities, but these vary from branch to branch. For exampled – the following activities have been completed at bronze level by Muff Branch, Co. Donegal:
The leaders pack gives suggestions on activities
Sample activities used at Bronze level by Muff Branch :
- Outdoor pursuits - list outdoor pursuits activities in local area, equipment needed for activities identified and safety requirements, take group on hike (hill or cross country i.e. forest), orienteering
- Communication - learn sign language, write to new friend via Facebook or email, do a presentation on a subject of interest, write an article for newsletter/paper
- Environmental Awareness - research recycling, recycling available, community clean up, design posters
- Community service - fundraising for flood victims, volunteer in local community,
- Personal development - sign language, crochet, needle work, personal defence, card design, learn CPR
- Sports, health and leisure - fitness testing, learn the rules or take part in a new sport or activity, the food pyramid, healthy diet
- Disaster and first aid training - first aid training, RAID cross game, research work of Red Cross during war and natural disasters
- International and cultural understanding – Positive Images, Principles of the Red Cross, History of the Red Cross, Henri Dunant, Geneva Conventions, International Red Cross programmes
*All activities must adhere to Child Protection guidelines
For more information or to our a leader or participant pack, please contact the Youth Department on youth@redcross.ie or 01 642 4600