• Ongoing role with the flexibility to choose how and when you volunteer.
• Upfront commitment to our minimum training requirements - online learning and practical training in Psychological First Aid
• Basic computer literacy is essential.

Why choose to volunteer with Red Cross?

• Contribute to Australian Red Cross Emergency Services by supporting people before, during, and after emergencies in a variety of roles.
• Enhance your skills, knowledge, and gain new experiences.

The program

Red Cross has been responding to emergencies and providing humanitarian assistance in Australia since 1914. We are committed to strengthening and extending our emergency aid services to assist all Australians in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies. As part of our Emergency Services team, you will join a group of over 900 trained volunteers ready to assist locally and across the state in times of emergency.

Our work spreads far and wide, including supporting communities, groups, and individuals to prepare for emergencies, as well as assisting with response and disaster recovery.  We also work with many stakeholders to provide training in psychological first aid, response, emergency management and recovery.

The opportunity

Australian Red Cross provides a range of support to communities at-risk of disaster or that have experienced an emergency.  We work in communities before an emergency assisting with individual and community preparedness, during an emergency providing support in welfare and relief centres and through our emergency phoneline, and after emergencies as communities move through the recovery process.

We are looking for people who are willing to be trained to provide this type of support to our communities. The opportunity requires volunteers to maintain their training so they can respond when needed.  This is not a predictable volunteering opportunity as we don’t know when emergencies are going to happen.  We are asking you to be prepared to respond when you are needed. However, you will have the flexibility to decide when you volunteer your time and what activities you would like to be involved with.

This also applies to our ongoing preparedness and recovery work. Examples of this include participation in community events, meetings, administration support, trainings, and facilitation etc. You will be notified of opportunities as they arise.

The current Emergency Services project in the ACT aims to provide disaster preparedness workshops to the culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) community. We are seeking volunteers from both CALD and non-CALD backgrounds who are willing to undergo training to become workshop facilitators and deliver preparedness workshops to community members. Volunteers can also attend workshops to provide general support, including set up and pack down, or speaking with workshop participants. They can also attend community information stalls, events, and expos to promote the work of Red Cross Emergency Services.

Your Commitment

• Training in Psychological First Aid (provided by Australian Red Cross).
• Completion of mandatory e-learning modules.
• (Optional) Completion of additional training to become a preparedness workshop facilitator.
• As a volunteer you will:
• Join a local team which is part of a large network of locally based teams.
• Have opportunities to engage in preparedness, response and recovery activities.
• Develop skills that allow you to provide psychosocial support, training programs, and community development services in your own communities and beyond.

Successful Volunteers Will

• Be open to working with all members of the community, sometimes during challenging times.
• Have strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Be able to communicate in a respectful, sensitive, and supportive way.
• Enjoy working in teams and be driven to maintain their skills and knowledge.
• Be equipped with stress-management and self-care strategies.
• Have sound computer literacy skills.

The impact

As an Australian Red Cross Emergency Services volunteer, you will have a direct impact with the members of your community. Whether you are providing personal support (Psychological First Aid) to people affected by emergencies, helping communities prepare for or recover from a disaster, or supporting training and operations, you will be making a real difference.

Australian Red Cross will ensure you receive training, ongoing support, and access to other opportunities within Emergency Services.

Application Requirements

For this role you will be required to undertake a National Police Check, organised through Australian Red Cross.

The role will also require you to hold or apply for a Working with Vulnerable People Check. Australian Red Cross can assist you to apply for this check.

For the ACT CALD community project, a CALD background and/or non-English language skills are highly regarded, but not essential.

Further information

To find out more about this opportunity please email [email protected]

Thank you for considering volunteering at Red Cross. We also have great career opportunities, please visit our website https://www.redcross.org.au/careers/

Red Cross strives to create a safe and inclusive culture with wellbeing at its centre. We embrace diversity and welcome Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people with diverse lived experiences, abilities, genders, ethnicities, ages, and sexual orientations. We are a child safe organisation with zero tolerance of any harm to children. Our vision is to be trusted as the leading humanitarian organisation making a genuine difference in the lives of people and communities.