Volunteer In Your Community

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Volunteer With The Irish Red Cross

Who We Are:

The Irish Red Cross Society is a humanitarian organisation that upholds and works within the Red Cross Fundamental Principles by delivering a wide range of services within local communities throughout a network of local Branches around Ireland. When joining the Irish Red Cross, you will be becoming a member of one of these local Branches, which are all local volunteer-led groups supported by the National Society.

What We Do:

Our local Branches each have their own identity, and the activities and opportunities they offer will vary depending on the needs of their local communities.Irish Red Cross services fall under 3 categories: First Aid & Rescue, Community Support, and Youth.

First Aid & Rescue:

Our First Aid & Rescue section provides training and upskilling from basic First Aid up to EMT level. Our trained Unit Volunteers provide First Aid event cover at a variety of public events such as concerts, sporting events and festivals. We also have specialised Rescue Teams located in Glen of Imaal in Wicklow (Mountain Rescue) and Lake Corrib and Mask (Lake Rescue).

Community Support:

Our Community Support section enables volunteers to help in their local communities as ‘Befriending’ Volunteers, Community Transport Services, Refugee Supports, Supports for Carers, Therapeutic Handcare, Skin Camouflage and Psychological First Aid.

Youth:

Our Youth Section encompasses all of our members aged 4 to 25. Local Branches who have Youth groups offer a wide-range of age-appropriate activities and training courses. From our T-Bears groups for ages 4 to 9 years old, to our Youth Leadership Development Training for members aged 18 to 25, the Youth Section offers our younger members a fantastic opportunity of learn new skills and make new friends. There are several national Youth events which take place annually that bring all of our Youth Members together.

The Application Process:

The first step in joining is to contact your local Irish Red Cross Branch. Please see the map to find the Branch closest to you. Once you know which Branch you would like to join, please contact the Branch Secretary at the e-mail address listed on the map. They will be able to give you more information about the Branch activities and services they are involved in locally, and the days/times they meet, so you can ensure it will be good fit for you before joining.

All Irish Red Cross members over the age of 16 are required to complete a Garda Vetting application through the Irish Red Cross. The Garda Vetting application is a part of the application process, and an ID Verification Form requiring the signature of a local Branch Officer must be completed for a membership application to be processed. The Branch Secretary will be able to assist you with completing the ID Verification Form.

Please see the National Vetting Bureau FAQ section for more information: https://vetting.garda.ie/Help/FAQ

How to Join:

After you have contacted your local Branch and decided you are ready to join, you will need to complete your membership application pack. There are different application packs for different age groups, so please find the one that applies to you:

Adult Membership Application Pack 2022 – (Age 18+)

Youth Membership Application Pack 2022 – (Ages 16 & 17)

Youth Membership Application Pack 2022 – (ages 4 to 15)

For 2022, there is no membership application fee. It is important that you contact your local Branch before sending in any membership application forms. The National Services team is here to assist you during your application and beyond – please contact us at membership@redcross.ie or by phone at 01-6424600 if you have any queries along the way.

 Current Members:

2022 Membership Renewal 

Membership renewal for 2022 is also free of charge. For lapsed members looking to renew their membership, please download the 2022 Membership Renewal Form, and send the completed forms to Head Office. You will also need to submit a new Garda Vetting application – please download the relevant forms below.

 Renew Garda Vetting:

If your Garda Vetting is due for renewal, please download the relevant Garda Vetting Pack below, and complete the forms included. You will need to contact your local branch in order to have your ID Verification Form completed.

Current Adult member – Garda vetting pack.

Current Youth member ages 16 – 17 – Garda vetting pack