We are a Royal Charter registered charity with 12,000 regular volunteers in the UK, and thousands more who are part of our community reserve. We are proud to be part of the largest humanitarian network in the world, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, working together to deliver the greatest impact for people through our seven Fundamental Principles of Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service, Unity and Universality.

Our vision is a world where everyone gets the help they need in a crisis. Our mission is to mobilise the power of humanity so that individuals and communities have the capacity to prepare for, deal with and recover from crisis. Our values of compassion, courage, inclusive and dynamism underpin everything we do. Advancing equity and embracing equality, diversity and inclusion are critical to us truly embodying our Fundamental Principles and organisational values. And most importantly, creating a more inclusive and courageous organisation where we benefit from a variety of perspectives will mean we can serve our communities better.

We are living in a time of almost permanent crisis. While the emergencies that hit the world suddenly and in news headlines are often the most visible, there are also many ongoing and overlooked crises, particularly around inequalities and inequities. Yet the extent of the need is vast and growing, as are the number and complexities of crises, so prioritising where and how we use our resources to the greatest benefit of humanity is a constant challenge.

We take a systems approach to our work and achieve our goals not just by delivering services directly, but by partnering, collaborating and convening others, and by advocating for change. We work closely with the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, partners, and stakeholders from governments and from statutory services; with companies and other charities; and crucially with our service users, volunteers, teams and the people we support, to ensure that our response is meeting their needs in the most impactful way and always through the power of kindness. Our 2030 strategy lays out our plans and underlying areas of focus to ensure we use our resources for maximum impact in the coming years.

Since 1870, the British Red Cross has put kindness into action, helping millions of people in the UK and around the world get the support they need when crisis strikes. We are committed to helping people without discrimination. We help anyone, anywhere, to get the support they need if crisis strikes, connecting human kindness with human crisis. And when the crisis is over, we help them to recover and move on with their lives.

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