Singapore, 13 April 2019 - To commemorate World Red Cross Day, the Singapore Red Cross Youth (RCY) movement today pledged to bring first aid and home safety awareness into the homes of 200 elderly / disabled persons in the year ahead. Ms Low Yen Ling, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Manpower, Mayor, South West District joined the Singapore Red Cross and its partner, Prudence Foundation (the community investment arm of Prudential in Asia), in launching the RCY-SAFE STEPS First Aid Outreach at RCY’s World Red Cross Day cum Enrolment Ceremony at e2i.
Aimed to provide the community with fundamental first aid knowledge to reduce vulnerability in emergencies, the Red Cross Youth - SAFE STEPS First Aid Outreach shares first aid treatment for common conditions of emergencies - bleeding, broken bones, cardiac arrest, choking, stroke and burns. Taking first aid advocacy a notch further, RCY will curate and distribute first aid kits to the elderly / disabled in 200 households, guide residents on the use of these supplies, and impart basic first aid skills leveraging SAFE STEPS resources. As part of the Red Cross Youth - SAFE STEPS First Aid Outreach, youth will also organise first aid awareness activities in the heartlands, to bring first aid learning closer to the community.
Mr Benjamin William, Secretary General and CEO at Singapore Red Cross, said, “Each year, almost 16,000 people die from injuries around the world every single day - of which 80 percent of accidents occur at home. In Singapore, the need to learn first aid skills has never been more important, given the challenges that come with an ageing population, and the potential security threats that we face. To build a more resilient society and nation, we need everyone to take on the responsibility of learning first aid and other life saving skills.”
Prudential Singapore’s employees and financial consultants will be among the first volunteers in the region to be certified as SAFE STEPS First Aid trainers by the Singapore Red Cross Academy. The programme’s pilot group of Prudential volunteers, comprising 12 employees, underwent the first SAFE STEPS First Aid training session in November 2018. Prudential aims to train over 100 volunteers by the end of the year, who will, in turn, support Singapore Red Cross in training more than 1,000 children and youth in first aid awareness and administration.
Prudential Singapore CEO and Member of the Board of Trustees, Prudence Foundation, Wilf Blackburn, stressed the importance of learning lifesaving skills from a young age. “We are pleased to be part of the SAFE STEPS First Aid Outreach and to promote the importance of first-aid training in our community, especially among the young. Having the necessary first-aid skills to protect ourselves, our loved ones and those in need is the first step towards preparing for life’s uncertainties. Our Prudential volunteers are excited to be learning and passing on these fundamental skills and health tips to young children and youth. We hope our efforts will help to build a stronger and safer community,” he said.
Mr William added, “Increasingly, more youth are becoming proficient in first aid, and are motivated to spread first aid awareness amongst their peers and within the community. With this partnership with Prudence Foundation in the regional first aid awareness campaign, we see empowered Red Cross Youth become catalysts, enabling the ripple effect of first aid awareness, and consequently, community resilience.”
Attended by 1,500 young humanitarians, the annual event welcomed 740 school-going children into the Red Cross Youth movement, and acknowledged the contributions of 720 RCY members who completed their uniformed group service, with the iconic enrollment pinning ceremony. In the spirit of community outreach, youths leaders from Red Cross Youth (RCY) led members of the public through a series of fun and engaging first aid-centric demonstrations and activities.