Inverell Red Cross branch was formed by 70 ladies at the School of Arts Hall on August 21, 1914, when Mrs Le Brun Brown was elected the inaugural president of the Inverell branch. Inverell women wanted to provide some comforts and necessities for the men at War. Twenty seven pounds was donated at the meeting and arrangements were made for the first sewing bee to be held on the following Tuesday, which resulted in the making of 139 garments and was considered a great effort.
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A typical Red Cross monthly consignment included bandages, washers, pillows, eye bandages, tea towe1s, tobacco, jam and other food.
During the summer of 1917 the local Red Cross ladies made 1523 large tins of jam for our soldiers. At one knitting afternoon 654 pairs of hand knitted socks were wrapped for the Australian soldiers by the Inverell Red Cross ladies.
Today sees 30 members still very active in the call and duty of Red Cross. Some have been members for many years and have a commendable loyalty to the cause. Some ladies have been given life membership while others have been given service awards. In 2009 Mrs Joy Ayling, was presented with her brooch and parchment for 70 years of continued service; she now has reached 75years..
Red Cross raises money for various causes, bushfires, floods, cyclones and earthquakes through the generosity of the local public, with street stalls, fashion parades and luncheons. To date the people of Inverell have been very generous in their support.
Local members are also involved in Red Cross Crisis Care. They give their time in emergency service personal support when called upon. Other members help out at the Red Cross Blood Bank, while others visit MacLean and help out with Meals on Wheels. Red Cross members are very aware of their civic duty.
We have members who help with Telecross, another Red Cross program that provides a daily telephone security check to elderly and medically dependant people living alone with no family contact,
The Red Cross Trauma Teddies are knitted by some wonderful volunteers and are distributed to hospitals, police, fire and ambulance stations and crisis centres. They are never sold and are cuddled by many in times of despair.
Inverell Branch has distributed over 850 teddies this year.
Australian Red Cross also runs other services such as: Tracing and Family Reunion (tracing family members separated in conflict), Hope (overdose education program) for drug education, the Glen Mervyn Young Women’s Health Program (for young pregnant girls who have no family support.)
