Parish of Killay Magazine November 2017

Ladies Guild
Mr. Liam O’Sullivan from The British Red Cross was our first speaker this month.
He began his talk by telling us a true story. This was about a boy who collapsed
on the platform whilst waiting to catch a tram to school in Manchester. The
majority of bystanders either stepped over him or walked past, but did nothing
to help him. After discussing possible reasons which these people might have
given, Liam explained what they could have done without endangering
themselves. He told us what to do if we ever find ourselves in a similar
situation with strangers or inside the home.
At the request of members, we were told what to do if someone was suspected of having a stroke or a
heart attack and basic first aid techniques. We were relieved to hear that members of the public can use a
defibrillator safely as the machine tells you what to do.
The Red Cross is over 150 years old and was founded in Switzerland by Henri Dunant and Gustave
Moynier. It has a unique authority under international humanitarian law to protect the life and dignity of
the victims of international and internal armed conflicts. The Geneva Convention came about as a direct
result of this organisation. It now exists in about 190 countries as the Red Cross, the Red Crescent or the
Red Crystal in Israel. The International Red Cross organises humanitarian responses across the world and
calls in the member country with the necessary specialism. The last time the British Red Cross was used in
such a way was to help in Haiti using its specialism in water supply and irrigation. The local branches
organise equipment hire, support refugees, provide advice on tenancy issues and help those who are
socially isolated for various reasons. There are only 3,000 members of staff but the society is reliant upon
some 30,000 volunteers.
p
In contrast, our speaker the following week was Pamela Duffy, also known as “Jammy Pam”who told us
about her pastimes and hobbies making cards, jams, chutneys etc.
Pam was one of a large family whose mother enjoyed cooking, making jams, chutneys, cakes and making
up to 80 lbs of marmalade at a time. As a result, she and her sisters learned to cook when they were very
young. Unfortunately, since her retirement, she has had to nurse her sick husband, so Pam spends many
hours cooking and card making and finds that going out to talk to groups, such as ours,
is a form of respite.
Pam brought along many of her products, none of which contained additives; some of
the chutneys were a little unusual such as “gherkin, onion and banana” and “green
bean and mustard”. The assortment of cards was spectacular, they were all beautifully
made, covered every occasion and proved very popular with Guild members. The ones
of old Swansea evoked memories of our younger days but the rather saucy, humorous
cards were quickly snapped up and quickly sold out, so orders were taken to be delivered at a later date. It
was a relaxed, enjoyable evening.
p
Parish of Killay !22
2017