299 mag

eal life
From the Nepal earthquake to the tragedy of Grenfell
Tower, Red Cross volunteers make a huge difference
‘Helping at Grenfell changed my life’
A year on from the Grenfell Tower fire that tragically
took 71 lives, Elaine Meakin, pictured below, recalls the
profound effect helping people caught in the tragedy had
on her personally.
Could you help?
If you’re interested in volunteering to
help The Red Cross in local, national or
international emergencies call 0344 871 1111
or visit www.redcross.org.uk/volunteer
‘One moment
you’re sitting at
home in front of
the television and
the next you’re in a
disaster zone’
During the Nepal
earthquakes in 2015, Linda
was based at the British
Embassy in Kathmandu,
mainly helping people
who’d been trekking in
the mountains when the
earthquake struck.
“Many of them had
had a traumatic journey
finding their way back
to the capital when the
earthquake happened and
were distressed by the things
they’d seen. A lot were young
people who’d been travelling
the world, too, and we had to
help them make the decision
whether to go home or carry
on with their travels.”
As well as the Nepal
earthquake, Linda also
recently supported child
refugees fleeing violence
in their home country as
they travelled to the UK from
Calais. “Being able to bring
support was very moving
as the children were very
scared, disorientated and
uncertain of their future.”
Dealing with such
emotional situations
“I’d been a member of
staff at the Red Cross for a
month when an email went
around the office asking
for volunteers to help at
Grenfell. While I’d normally
never do anything so out of
my comfort zone, I’d been
watching the events of
Grenfell unfold on the news and there was something in me
that made me want to help.
“Seeing Grenfell Tower for the first time was
horrendous and I was incredibly moved by the tributes
and messages about missing people around the area.
My job was to volunteer shortly afterwards at a local
‘I just showed
kindness and
empathy which
is something
everyone can do’
centre for people caught
in the tragedy, welcoming
them and signposting to the
organisations who could
provide help with counselling,
food and financial support.
“We were sitting down
with people, comforting them and just being a friendly face.
Many people were understandably distraught while others
were angry and we were there to listen. I felt so proud to
help, especially as I’d never done anything like this before.
I just showed kindness and empathy which is something
everyone can do.
“This experience made me much more confident as I
realised I could actually help and be involved. I’ve made a lot
of changes to my life since Grenfell, including signing up as a
Red Cross community reserve volunteer to step in if there’s
a disaster, such as a large flood or fire, in my area.”
obviously comes with its
own challenges for the
volunteers, but Linda says
the hardest thing is how fast
everything moves.
“One minute you’re sitting
at home in front of the TV
and then you’re in a disaster
zone. You have to be resilient
and quick to adapt. Then
when you come home you
have to take time to process
everything as it can be
overwhelming to be back.”
But Linda says it’s worth
it for the help she can give
people when they’re in a
moment of need. “I love
what I do – it’s so rewarding.
It’s amazing what a big
difference a small gesture
such as a cup of tea, or a
kind word, can have on
someone who’s scared
and feeling alone. They
always remember that and
it helps enormously with
their recovery.“
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
13
PICs: REX/SHUTTERSTOCK, ICRC