POLISH RED CROSS EXECUTIVE BOARD
REPORT ON POLISH RED CROSS ACTIVITIES IN 2015
Warsaw, June 2016
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I. FOREWORD
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This report contains basic data concerning Polish Red Cross structures operating on the territory of the Republic of Poland, and a description of the most important activities carried out by the National Society’s provincial and district branches.
Polish Red Cross has been continuing, in 2015, to implement its statutory tasks, and its program strategy, focusing on several domains, e.g. community welfare and providing home- based care for the bed-ridden, promoting health and wholesome lifestyle, including voluntary (non-remunerated) blood donorship, rescuing and first aid, as well as countering addiction to psychoactive substances. Other important fields of activity should be borne in mind, i.e. disseminating Red Cross and Red Crescent Fundamental Principles and humanitarian values, the knowledge of the international humanitarian law, but also fostering tolerant approaches and respect for human dignity.
Most of the programs implemented by the PRC in 2015 concerned the promotion of health and of healthy lifestyle, in particular among children and youth. Traditionally, the “PRC Olympic Nationwide Healthy Lifestyle Contest” and “First Aid Championship” attracted many participants. Since caring activities remain one of the NS priorities, provincial and district branches competed, many of them successfully, for contract assignments, and therefore the number of welfare centres and of people under their care has increased significantly.
PRC brought welfare assistance to more than 160,000 persons in need, and almost 340,000 meals were served. Since December 2014, the NS has been participating in the Operational Programme for Food and Material Assistance for 2014-2020, within the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived.
Honorary blood donors, active within PRC HBD clubs make up a large group of PRC members and volunteers. Provincial and district branches participate in nation-wide donorship promotion campaigns, but also carry out their own project in this field.
In spite of a diminishing membership of basic units and a fall in their number, still many socially engaged people, in particular among children and youth, as well as within the HBD movement, build up the National Society’s capacity.
The PRC International Humanitarian Law Dissemination Center, affiliated to the Executive Board, organized the 19th edition of the School of International Humanitarian Law in Radziejowice. Courses were held, as usual, but much attention was paid to work group sessions focused on respective case studies. The course’s co-organizers were ministries of National Defence, of Foreign Affairs, as well as of Culture and National Heritage.
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II. Characteristics of the public benefit organization
Polish Red Cross operates on the basis of - Polish Red Cross Act of 16 November, 1964 (Off. J. No. 41, doc. 276) - its own Statutes, validated by the Cabinet’s ordinance of 20 September 2011 (Off. J. of 12 October 2011, No. 217, doc. 1284), - resolutions of International Conferences of Red Cross and Red Crescent.
Polish Red Cross is a National Society, as stipulated in the Geneva Conventions for the protection of war victims of 12 August 1949 (Off.J.,1956, No. 38, doc. 171) as well as in Additional Protocols to the aforementioned Conventions, of 8 June 1977 (Off. J., 1992, No. 41, doc. 175) and of 9 December 2005 (Off. J., 2009, No. 127, doc. 1049), Poland is party of.
PRC Executive Board, set up as a result of the National Congress held in 2012, after changes in its composition, made during this term of office, consisted of: 1/ Stanisław Kracik – President, 2/ Marek Hok – Vice President, 3/ Adam Fornal – Vice-President, 4/ Leszek Mizieliński – Vice-President 5/ Jerzy Bisek – member, 6/ Marek Brodzki – member, 7/ Jarosław Cieszkiewicz – member, 8/ Marzena Dobrowolska – member, 9/ Sławomir Kaczyński – member, 10/ Jerzy Kornaus – member, 11/ Zbigniew Misiejuk – member.
The PRC Executive Board’s Praesidium consisted of: 1/ Stanisław Kracik – President, 2/ Leszek Mizieliński – Vice-President 3/ Marek Hok – Vice-President 4/ Marzena Dobrowolska – member 5/ Adam Fornal – member
III Statutory activities
1. Putting into effect the Polish Red Cross strategy
The PRC strategy for the years 2012-2016, adopted by the National Congress in June 2012, indicates the following priority areas of activity:
1. preparing for emergencies and assisting victims of disasters, catastrophes and accidents, 2. developing welfare services for the sake of the most vulnerable, 3. promoting a healthy lifestyle and developing honorary blood donorship, 4. disseminating Fundamental Principles and humanitarian values of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and of international humanitarian law, shaping attitudes of tolerance and respect for human dignity, 4
5. strengthening the Naiomal Society’s core organizational and financial capabilities, in order to make it execute statutory tasks more efficiently.
1. Disaster and accident preparedness and assistance to victims of such occurrences in 2015
1) The National Society’s statutory goals, i.e. tracing persons unaccounted for, bringing relief to victims od man-made and natural disasters, as well as preparing the population for emergencies, are being pursued by the PRC Rescue System, made up of 18 emergerncy rescue teams, one medical rescue team and one dedicated to special rescuing. Their total numbership is 373, including physicians, nurses, medical rescuers, first aid providers and other paramedical practitioners. Besides, within the PRC structure operate 5 humanitarian relief groups, comprising 76 members.
The PRC Rescue System functions on the basis of the Polish Red Cross Act, of PRC statutes and of a contract signed with the Chief Commandant of the State Fire Service, on the principles of cooperation of Polish Red Cross with units of the State fire service, integrated into the National Firefighting Rescue System. Another basis of cooperation is a contract with the Chief of the National Civil Defence on the partition of assignments for the purpose of protecting the population against different risks. Contracts with other institutions, like district units of the State Fire Service, the Police, the Border Guard and National Civil Defence units contribute to the fulfilment of PRC tasks.
The activities of PRC rescue teams fill some gaps in network coverage of the State-owned Emergency Medical Services, relying on BLS and ALS ambulances (respectively basic and advanced life support); they also assist entities of the National Firefighting Rescue System in bringing medical relief to persons in life-threatening condition in an aftermath of disasters. Assistance of PRC is also provided to Polish, but also to foreign nationals on the country’s territory, if affected by an emergency. The PRC rescue teams provided security to 1,105 assemblies and events, participated in 285 exercises, organized 315 rescue sklll shows and assisted 3,351 persons.
Among disaster preparedness activities in 2015, PRC managed 15 provincial and 13 district warehouses prepared to assist at once 7, 262 persons.
2) In cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and several NGOs, the NS prepared a dispatch of relief supplies to victims of earthquake in Nepal. Responding to an appeal of the IFRC, launched worldwide, an earmarked collection was carried out, for the purpose of purchasing most needed products, including food, water, sanitation facilities and building materials for shelters, to ensure basic living conditions. Moreover, blankets provided by PRC were added to a consignment, sent in May 2015 to the affected zones and containing donations in kind from the government and from other NGOs.
Activities of provincial branches
PRC Lubelskie Provice Branch – While conducting humanitarian operations, the branch uses relief items stored in the Lublin PRC emergrency warehouse. The reserve, worth PLN 700,500, enables the Branch to assist 4,500 persons at once. The Branch itself bears part of the costs of the warehouse’s functioning, but the latter is co-funded by Lublin provincial 5 governor, thus executing the public assignment “Ensuring evacuated population decent living conditions, as well as a pre-medical and psychological assistance”. In September 2015 from the warehouse was dispatched to Budapest, for 250 refugees, a humanitarian relief consignment containing camp beds, sleeping bags, blankets and sheets. Its total value was PLN 12,960. In the same month, a dwelling house was on fire in the village of Granice; and in December another conflagration damaged an apartment-building at Kręta street in Lublin; victims of those diasters received supplies from the emergency warehouse; besides, dehydrating-drying devices were put at their disposal free of charge; the total value of this relief amounted to PLN 2,275. PRC District Branch in Radzyń Podlaski carried out a targeted collection, that yielded PLN 11,875. The money thus raised was spent on the purchase of building materials for farmers who suffered from a windwhirl and atmospheric discharges. The assistance was provided immediately upon notification. To ensure prompt and efficient response to disasters, the provincial branch cooperates with the Security and Crisis Management Department of Lublin Governor’s Office.
PRC Świętokrzyskie Province Branch - PRC Emergency Rescue Teams, registered as an entity coopeerating with the state Medical Rescue System, in 2015 provided security to participants of 270 events, assisted 85 persons, organized 67 training courses and rescue skill show, a VIVE handball match, the Witches’ Sabbath, performances of the Kielce Dance Theater, the Grand Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, Motor-Heart, the Student Carnival, a concert in Kadzielnia and the City of Kielce Celebration Day. - Should be emphasized in particular securing, by PRC Kielce Rescue Team, of the biggest event of this kind in Poland, the Radom Air Show, in August 2015, where 90 persons were granted relief. - PRC Kielce Rescue Team was awarded, in 2015, the Świętokrzyskie Province governor’s prize “Pure Hearts” as a meritorious NGO, bringind disinterested assistance to the needy.
PRC West Pomerania Province Branch carried out, from 28 to 30 August 1915, “West Pomerania rescue maneuvers Mielno 2015”. The PRC rescue team based in Koszalin was in charge of this event, which involved more than 100 rescue providers from PRC and the District Voluntary Fire Units. The aim of those exrrcises was to standardize nomenclature and procedures applicable on the spot in emergencies of different kinds. The maneuvers were organised under the honorary patronage of the Minister of the Interior, West Pomerania Governor, Member of the Provincial Board, the Provincial Commander of State Fire Brigades, the President of City of Koszalin, Mielno Village Head, Commanders of Koszalin Urban Fire Department and of the local Police.
3) First Aid
Raising the population’s awareness of the importance of administering first aid remains a statutory task for our National Society. Activities in this field consist in training (the target groups being companies, institutions and individuals), but also in promoting first aid and in making the public aware of the need to learn basic skills. Our training courses are being conducted according to the guidelines of the European Resuscitation Council and of the European Reference Centre for First Aid Education. 6
In 2015, at the request of PRC provincial branches, 73 first aid instructors had their competences confirmed. In one case the certificate was annulled because no evidence had been found of cooperation with the appropriate PRC branch. 3 courses for future instructors were also organized, involving 32 participants. First aid training courses are targeting different age groups, starting from primary schools. Dedicated education programs are prepared, e.g. “The Little Rescuer” featuring first aid education in primary school forms 1 and 2 on one hand and 3 and 4 on the other (in 2015, 9,872 pupils were trained in 336 establishments) or “Don’t feel unconcerned: learn first aid skills”, for lower secondary school students.
In 2015 1,351 first aid courses were conducted for 20,316 persons (out of which 951 fee- based courses for 12,921 persons). Moreover 1,675 education campaigns of different kinds were carried out, for an audience of 45,374.
PRC First Aid Championship was organized on three levels: district and provincial branch, as well as the national. At the latter, organized by Lublin Province Branch, participated 16 teams representing all the provincial branches,
The 1st place was awarded to a team representing the Juliusz Słowacki Secondary School No 6 in Kielce; they also won the Republic President’s Cup - the 2nd, to a team representing the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Integrated Vocational School in Płock; - the 3rd, to representatives of the Mikołaj Kopernik Secondary School No 2, in Kędzierzyn- Koźle.
By courtesy of the Lublin Administrative Authority the championship took place at Lithuanian Square, downtown. At 9 h.30 sixteen teams from the whole country started to compete for the Cup of the President of the Republic. A guest appearance was made by a 17th team, from the Volhynia district organization of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, with which the Lublin Province PRC branch had been implementing a project “Volhynian Youth – First Aid Masters”, financed from RITA fund. The experience gained at PRC championship by the Ukrainian youth volunteers proved most useful a few months later, when they organized a similar event in their region. In Lublin, a picnic was prepared for city dwellers and visitors. Leisure time was filled with side events, i.e. performances of karate fighters from the Lublin Kyokushin club, An illusionist, Piotr Denisiuk, 50+ Lublin cheer-leaders “Cheerful Ladies”, a dance academy in a hip-hop repertoire, the Military Police accompanied by a sniffer dog and equipped with radio determination devices, but also a bloodmobile, made available by the Regional Blood Centre in Lublin. The event was patronized by School Superintendent in Lublin, the Commander of State Fire Service, the Minister of National Education and the Governor of Lublin Province. After the official closure of Championship, participants were invited to merry-making at the terrace of Lublin Castle. On 14 June they had an opportunity of sightseeing in the town. Among the organizers should be mentioned first aid trainers, volunteers from Youth Instructor Groups, non-remunerated blood donors and staff members of PRC district branches. Thanks to the generosity of sponsors the competitors received attractive prizes and presents. Media patronage over the Championship was assumed by Lublin Radio, Centrum Radio and a daily “Kurier Lubelski”.
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“The Day of the Little Red Nose” On 6 June 2015, in Krakowskie Przedmieście, historic thoroughfare in Warsaw, PRC took part in this event organized by the foundation „Dr. Clown” and Coca-Cola HBC Poland; the NS conducted the following activities: 1. Volunteership – that makes us thrill! – i.e. promotion of volunteership. 2. Displays and short lectures about first aid. Promotion of PRC first aid courses. 3. Conservationist and charitable campaign. Mineral water “Kropla Beskidu” in PlantBottle packages was distributed within this action for charity: “Drink up and give back the bottle!” For every empty bottle provided for recycling, Coca-Cole HBC Poland paid PLN 0.60 to PRC. Altogether the latter received PLN 8,000 to be spent on the promotion of first aid. Some 20,000 persons attended the event. Whole families had an opportunity to spend their time purposefully and to support “Dr. Clown” foundation. Numerous attractions and a professional preparation contributed to create adequate conditions for strengthening generational bonds, as well as for promoting the activities and brands of all the partners and medial patrons of the event.
“A Thumb for First Aid” contest On the occasion of the World First Aid Day, the competition was organized jointly with our partner Coca Cola HBC Poland, for the purpos of drawing people’s attention to first aid and of persuading them into attending courses conducted by PRC. It lasted from 12.09 to 03.10. 2015. Every person having a Facebook account was invited to send his/her photo, where a thumb up means support of the “first aid” idea. Eeach sender could single out a PRC provincial branch to be awarded prizes. In return he/she had the right to download, free of charge, a set of guidelines for learning first aid. The winning branches received new “Little Anne” CPR training manikins manufactured by Laerdal. The contestants sent in 1,588 photos. Consequently, Coca-Cola HBC donated to PRC 10 brand new manikins; each of them was forwarded to a provincial branch. The following were beneficiaries: Opolskie, Wielkopolskie, Kuyavia-Pomerania, Lubelskie, Łódzkie, Świętokrzyskie, Warmia & Masuria, Pomerania, Lubuskie and Mazovia.
4) Activities of provincial and district branches in spreading the knowledge of the principles of first aid by means of training courses and campaigns. The following took place, among others, in 2015: - Rescue Team PRC Kielce implemented a program commanded by the local urban administration, entitled “Supporting activities aimed at promoting the principles of first aid”, involving 1,200 children attending kindergartens and primary schools; - Rescue Team PRC Kielce took part in the operation “Echoes of the Day” – “Healthy and secure first-formers on their way to school”. Some 1,000 pre-school children attended the displays and were taught by rescuers, how to correctly administer paramedical first aid; - the promotion of first aid consists also in the participation of the winning team of the Polish competition, representing PRC, but also the Świętokrzyskie province, in the First Aid Convention in Europe (FACE) 2015, held in Bucharest.
2. Development of program activites aimed at assisting vulnerable communities.
In this field, Polish Red Cross has been trying to achieve the two strategic goals: improving the living standards of persons in need and countering social exclusion of individuals and 8 groups. Welfare assistance, consisting of food parcels, clothes and allowances, reached, in 2015, 168,654 persons altogether, including: - 84,460 women, - 10,416 handicapped, - 14,720 retirement-aged persons, - 6,157 depending persons, i.e.chronically or incurably ill, - 6,724 homeless, - 1,691 victims of violence, - 28,480 unemployed, - 81,106 poverty-stricken persons, - 2,251 people overcoming dependency and members of their families - 10,733 single parents, - 27,306 children and youth, including 4,896 from communities under threat.
Among the beneficiaries of immediate help in 2015, 85,660, including 47,200 women were provided assistance at least twice that year. Provincial and district branches, in 2015, disbursed PLN 8,026,165.67 on an assistance provided offhandedly.
In the same year, 104 relief centres were run and 161 contracts signed with local authorities for homecare services. Altogether 13,120 people were covered by the scheme, including 560, financed from the National Society’s budget. Neighbourly care was provided to 126 persons (including 90 women), out of whom in 28 cases funding was assured by PRC budget. Care services were provided by 5,644 PRC “sisters” (personal assistants). One should bear in mind that the extent of care services depends on the number of tenders won and of earmarked subsidies received. PRC in 2015 was managing 78 assistance establishments of different kinds, offering 2,318 places; 12,106 persons benefited therefrom during the year. In 2015 PRC Director General set up a drafting group for “Standards of care services provided by PRC”.
During the whole year, the NS continued putting into effect the Operational Food Program for 2014-2020, within the framework of the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD); in Poland this program is implemented by the Agricultural Market Agency in cooperation with partner organizations, i.e. NGOs having national or intra-regional scopes, e.g. Polish Red Cross, the Federation of Polish Food Banks and the Polish Committee of Social Welfare. The Program’s managing partner is the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. FEAD’s task consists not only in meeting basic needs, but also in taking social inclusion measures, such as guidance and support to help people out of poverty.
The aim set for the 2015 sub-program’s implementation was to provide assistance to those in greatest need, by distributing among them parcels containing commodities of different product groups, e.g. : pasta, white rice, barley gruel, milk, cheese spread, coffee ersatz, minced pork and juicy meatballs. The recipients were persons and families suffering from material deprivation and receiving support from Social Welfare Centres, whereas respective county or town Centres had been responsible for the final selection, except for the homeless, whose eligibility had been determined by the organizations participating in the program. Within the 2015 sub-program (implemented from December 2015 to June 2016) the commodities were forwarded to 20 PRC warehouses in the provinces of Lower Silesia, 9
Mazovia, Subcarpathia, Pomerania, Silesia, West Pomerania, Świętokrzyskie and Lubuskie. Altogether the NS distributed 5,145.70 MT of food worth PLN 15,637,446.43.
The following activities were coordinated by the PRC Headquarters (Executive Board Office): A money collection under the slogan “Polish Red Cross for people in need”, notified to the Ministry of Administration and Digitization (registration entry no 2015/803/OR) has been carried on since 4 March 2015 and is a long-term venture (longer than 12 months). For the collection are used sealed charity boxes, portable or fixed, throughout the country. The aim is to to raise funds for nation-wide campaigns for the sake of persons under PRC care; i.e. “Decent Childhood”. Action Against Hunger”. Red Cross Christmas Eve- campaign conducted throughout the country for the sake of the badly-off, multi-child and/or single-parent families, the unemployed and the unhealthy. Night shelters, hospices, day centres and care facilities managed by the NS receive part of the money raised. The support within “RC Christmas Eve” consists in distribution of parcels (containing food, including fruit and candy, clothes and toys), in organizing traditional social gatherings, meals appropriate to the occasion, and Santa Claus rejoicing (specifically for children), or in visits to the bed-ridden, the elderly and the lonely. Easter with PRC. During the holiday period PRC branches organize meetings, including Easter breakfasts and distribute food parcels among those living in poverty. For children of incomplete or muiltiple families, affected by unemployment or indigence, are being organized merrymaking events. Care for the homeless. Serving them warm meals and distributing packaged food, as well as hygiene kits. PRC also manages night shelters and refuges, where apart from basic accommodation and food, the homeless can take a bath and wash their clothes. Moreover, they benefit from a program of legal and psychological counselling, with a view to facilitating their transition out of homelessness. In 2015 the collection was carried out in retail networks Tesco and Stokrotka. In the former it yielded, in three instances, PLN 301,558.89, while in the latter, during one collection, PLN 105,994 were raised. Altogether, in all the stores involved, the amount of PLN 480,147.82 was collected in one year (from 4 March 2015 to3 March 2016)
The funds thus raised were used to finance a comprehensive aid scheme targeting children: providing them with extra meals, in schools and other educational establishments, but also financing recreational and rehabilitation sojourns; the receipts were partly spent on the purchase of school equipment, means of hygiene, footwear and clothing; on equipping educational establishments with computerware, furniture, stationery and other office supplies, salaries of educational staff in establishments, including sojourns in recreational facilities managed by PRC.
The Head Office launched and coordinated the campaign “From the Heart to Children”
The campaign lasted from 20 August to 30 September 2015. It was conceived by PRC, Kaufland and Procter & Gamble, for the purpose of improving the situation of the most disadvantaged families, and of children in particular. The campaign’s iconic figure, actress Katarzyna Cichopek is well known for her involvement in charities. One per cent of the value 10 of every P&G product bought in a Kaufland store by every customer before 30 September was transferred to persons indicated by the NS from among those under its care. Thanks to the receipts, amounting to PLN 250,000, families badly off received from P&G Pampers baby diapers (2,990 packages, sizes 2 to 6) worth PLN 146,119.02. Their distibution, done by selected PRC district branches from every province, finished at the end of February 2016. 1794 children in 1579 most deprived families, under care of the NS, benefited from this assistance. Other necessary items were provided to those families, e.g. clothes, bed linen or pyjamas; the remaining amount was spent on kits of products needed to improve infant development (including quality sleep). Staff members of P&G and Kaufland participated in the campaign by handing over the commodities to the intended beneficiaries.
At the end of March 2016, was wound up the “Windows of Opportunity” program financed from the budget of Velux Foundation and implemented since September 2013. Upon its termination, an audit, carried out by independent accountants, yielded positive results. The program’s aim was to manage day care centers for children and youth aged 6 to 18 from deprived families, small localities, and destitute rural or urban communities, as well as for minors whose working parents are unable to look after them in the afternoon. The program was implemented in four provincial branches: Lubelskie, Subcarpathia, Podlaskie and West Pomerania. In those provinces operated 28 day centers for 840 children. On the premises participants were supported in their educational and social development; benefiting from alternative leisure activities, in spite of any negative enticements, they were provided with the basis for social behavior in society. The day care centers managers proposed them an assistance in doing their homework, but also other activities, e.g. education, sports, visual arts or music. Thanks to the financial support of Velux Foundation, the centers’ staff enabled children and youth under their care to take part in sightseeing tours and in summer recreation camps. Meetings were organized with parents, aimed at getting them involved in the functioning of the establishments offering their childern such opportunities. For volunteers who support the managers and educators in their endeavours, training courses were conducted, covering first aid, leisure programming, including games-based pedagogy, and an anti-discrimination workshop, referring to the “Choose Diversity” program.
The day care centers would not have been functioning without a close cooperation with self governments and education authorities. Commune boards supported the implementation by putting at the disposal of organizers premises free of charge, by emplpying an educator and by co-financing some initiatives of day care centers, including summer recreation. Expenditure on management of the centers, on excursions and summer recreation exceeded PLN 4,377,824.77, including PLN 2,693,824.72 from the VELUX Foundation. The remaining amount was provided from other sources by the province boards paricipating, as well as from the work of volunteers.
In 2015 Polish Red Cross continued cooperation with the Agricultural Market Agency for the purpose of distributing a surplus of food, resulting from the Russian Federation’s embargo. The NS participated in the Agency’s mechanism “Temporary support measures for producers of fruit and vegetables”, as a registered charity entitled to store up in its warehouses the products brought in, and to distribute them among the persons qualified for relief under provisions of law, i.e. having insufficient means of subsistence. 46 PRC warehouses from 11 districts joined the mechanism.
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Council of Ladies affiliated to PRC
The Council of Ladies supported PRC activities, like every year, in particular by bringing relief to children and youth from the poorest families. Funds raised disinterestedly by this body’s members made possible a substantial relief provided to the needy: mostly multi-child families, the elderly, the bed-ridden and the disabled. In 2015, Mesdames Anna Podniesińska, Henryka Sutkowska, Jadwiga Wiśniewska and Małgorzata Deszkiewicz were particularly involved in this charitable work. Thanks to the funds raised by the Ladies, in 2015, a summer camp was organized for more than 100 children from the Subcarpathia and Małopolskie provinces. Before Christmas, gift parcels were distributed by the Council of Ladies among children under care of the educational centre at Dudziarska street in Warsaw. Casual assistance was provided to a multi- child family by a purchase of coal to make them get through winter. A traditional charity concert was performed under the motto “Let’s give poor children holidays”. Media coverage, and in particular a support of “TVP Info channel”, contributed to the event’s success. Money raised on that occasion in 2015 shall serve to finance summer recreation of poverty-stricken kids in 2016. Several companies and individuals supported the Council with their donations, e.g.:
ERIS, PZU FOUNDATION, ALFA CONSULTING, ROYAL FOOD PRODUCTION, ROYAL ŁAZIENKI MUSEUM, CEZ SKAWINA INC., METLIFE IN POLAND INSURANCE, ELOKON POLAND LTD., LOTTO MILLION DREAMS FOUNDATION, SIEMENS LTD.
Throughout the year 2015, PRC provincial and district boards took a number of initiatives in order to support the vulnerable. Apart from the traditional campaigns, such as “Easter with PRC”, “Gold Rush”, “Outfit for a Schoolmate” or “Red Cross Christmas Eve”, the following could be mentioned:
- The Lubuskie Province PRC Branch, within the campaign “Decent Childhood”, proved the second best fundraiser in PRC in 2015. Collections were carried out in coopoeration with Tesco retail network. It is worth mentioning that the company owns less stores in this province than in any other in the country. Thanks to our cooperation with Jeronimo Martins Poland Ltd, in September we received some school supply kits. The company handed us over 26 school backpacks with accessories, 21 empty backpacks, 3 sets of accessories and 41 booklets. The donated items were forwarded to our day care centers and to persons looked after by the Lublin district branch. Jointly with the retail store network “Biedronka” (Ladybug) we were able, like in precedent years, to collect food items and to transmit them to people in need; in the framework of “RC Christmas Eve” 531 families received gifts.
PRC Kuyavia-Pomerania Province Branch conducted activiteis in the field of community welfare, charity and humanitarian assistance. Support was provided to poverty-stricken familiers, single mothers breeding their children, the bed-ridden, the homeless and the shiftless. In particular we took care of children from the poorest families and of handicapped children; our assistance was provided all the year round and consisted i.a. in organizing summer integration meetings or Easter and Christmas celebrations. However the most popular among our the kids under our charge and their tutors was the yearly nationwide campaign “Outfit for a Schoolmate”, aimed at equipping pupils of 2nd and 3rd primary school grades, but also handicapped children, with the necessary scholastic 12 accessories. This task was accomplished thanks to subsidies from self-governmental authorities and from the central government’s budget, as well as to proceeds from charity operations carried out in department stores by PRC volunteers. In 2015 the program encompassed gymnastics wears required in physical education classes; consequently, the pupils became more concerned about motion exertions. Every year the campaign’s final event is a charity concert under the patronage of Bydgoszcz city mayor, an occasion for the patron and the artists invited to hand over back bags filled with school equipment to children. The Kuyavia-Pomerania Province Branch in Bydgoszcz invited, in 2015, the group MROZU. Pre-concert entertainment was provided by a local group or singer. It should be underlined that in 2015 support was delivered by a hip-hop team “MOW Squad” from the Bielice Youth Education Centre; adolescents from this establishment regularly take part in charity operations in Bydgoszcz supermarkets. In 2015 we celebrated the 15th anniversary of the “Outfit for a schoolmate” campaign. Its recapitulation concerts, entitled “Give Children a Heart”, highly appreciated by the city’s authorities, are now one of the highlights in the local cultural events calendar.
Another campaign deserving attention and appraisal is the one called “No more bare feet”, invented by a long-term PRC volunteer, Patryk Wolski; he gained support from a renowned TV presenter Olivier Janiak, thanks to whom since 2006, can be published a luxury calendar “Dżentelmeni” (The Gentlemen). The publication’s sales provided a supply of the campaign’s account and enabled the Branch to buy shoes not only for children from the Kuyavia- Pomerania province, but also from different orphanages, indicated by the celebrities who agreed to feature in the calendar. During the year, the program was carried on, targeting destitute families’ children who received sports shoes, while the handicapped ones were given orthopedic footwear. All those pairs of shoes were forwarded to the beneficiaries through guidance counsellors in primary, lower secondary and upper secondary schools in the province.
PRC Lubelskie Province Branch: “PRC” for Seniors”
PRC Lubelskie Province Branch has been enlarging its choice of options for the elderly. In particular, 2015 was a year of development in this respect. The funds earmarked to finance activities for seniors were multiplied by five, if compared with 2014. As many as eight programs were being implemented and the proposals proved quite varied.
The following table shows the allotment of financial means to programs for seniors: ord. Name of project Co-financing Implementation Value in PLN Co-financ- entity timeframe of project ing in 2015 in 2015 in PLN 1. SENIOR FIT Ministry of Sport from 01.03.2015 152,343.35 120,000.00 and Tourism to 31.12.2015 2. “CZAS” – Seniors Ministry of from 01.03.2015 132,686.68 122,100.00 Activity Centers Labour and to 31.12.2015 (March-Dec.) Social Policy 3. Managing a day Lublin City from 01.01.2013 132,686.68 30,000.00 center for older Center for Urban to 31.12.2015 inhabitants Families of Lublin – 10 places 4. To support the Regional Social from 15.01.2015 17,400.00 13,000.00 13
functioning Policy Center in to 10.12.2015 of seniors within Lublin the civil society (as a follow-up to the Provincial Program for the Elderly of 2013-215) ”Senior Fit” 5. Active Lublin – Lublin City 2 instalments: 7,200.00 6.000 implementation of Authority (Jan.-June; July- programs aimed at Dec.) promoting physical activity of different community members: Walking for health 6. To back and Biłgoraj Town from 01.04.2015 4,612.00 4,000.00 disseminate Authority to 15.12.2015 physical culture: supporting motion improvement programs 7. Senior Fit Kraśnik Town from 01.02.2015 6,000.00 4,000.00 Social Welfare to 31.12.2015 Center 8. Comprehensive Zamość Town from 23.03.2015 6,950.00 6,000.00 senior activation Authority to 31.12.2015 plan TOTAL 357,192.03 305,100.00
ACTIVITIES AIMED AT IMPLEMENTING THE A/M. PROGRAMS
Mobility exercises: fitness, aqua fitness, nordic walking Altogether more than 300 persons participated therein. Exercises were taking place in rented swimming pools, fitness halls and outdoors. Morover, the seniors were allowed to do physical training in gyms owned by PRC local branches in Biłgoraj, Krasnik and Zamość. They are adequately equipped, since a purchase of necessary material, e.g. mats, balls, tapes, sticks, weights made possible greater opportunities. All the activities were prepared and conducted under the supervision of adequatly trained monitors. Fitness, aqua fitness and nordig walking coaches have physical education degree, appropriate training course certificates and an experience of work with the elderly.
Consultations with a dietician
From July to December 2015, in eight towns (Biłgoraj, Chełm, Hrubieszów, Kraśnik, Lubartów, Lublin, Tomaszów Lubelski and Zamość) were held nutrition consultations, jointly with measuring of body composition levels and with designing personal diets of the seniors 240 consultatons were conducted.
“Senior Olympics” 14
The most active participants of the exercise were selected to compete. The games were organized in the PRC Training and Rehabilitation Center in Mszana Dolna. The following disciplines were proposed: knowledge test in sports and healthy lifestyle, obstacle course performance, goal shooting contest, table tennis tournament, swimming and nordic walking competitions. 48 seniors took part in the games, accompanied by 5 professional tutors and one medical care provider; altogether 54 persons.
Walking event for seniors
On 12 September 2015, on the banks of Zemborzycki Lagoon in Lublin a fair was organized, promoting physical activities of the elderly. The program comprised several attractions: yoga exrecises for seniors, nordic walking competition, dancing animations, display of zumba, fitness classes. Besides, first aid demonstrations were to be watched; blood pressure and sugar level could be measured, and nutrition consultations were available. The number of participants totalled 400. The event was supervised by a technical operator, responsible for security, equipment, sound amplification, and a trainer was in charge of the conduct of nordic walking competition. The winners were offered cups and medals. A music group honoured the event by their performance. PRC volunteers were involved in the preparation and the course of the fair, patronage over which had been assumed by the Lubelskie Province Marshal.
Set-up and functioning of Seniors Activity Centres “CZAS”
Seniors Activity Centres (clubs) were established in seven towns of the province. Their functioning required cooperation with the would-be beneficiaries. A particular timetable, drafted earlier, was followed by themselves. They were not only addressees, but also volunteers and implementing agents. Every centre differs from each other and had its own program of activities.
Training courses for seniors
In keeping with the principles of “CZAS” project, ten training courses for representatives of the clubs were performed. Two seniors from each one took part in every course. 14 persons were being trained at once in ten courses. The objective was to prepare the trainees to become leaders sufficiently prepared to work with their respective “club” groups and to share with them the knowledge acquired. The topics, selected by the senior volunteers themselves and the counsellors in the Centres, were the following: . Cultivating flowers. Managing a garden. Impact of plants on health. . Prophylactic measures. . Phytotherapy. . Traditional preparation of herbal tinctures. . Manufacturing natural cosmetics. . Memorization techniques. . Fancy-work. . Professional make-up for seniors . Volunteering among seniors. Moreover, fourteen 5-hour first aid courses were organized for the project’s beneficiaries.
Providing home-based care for the bed-ridden remains one of the program-related tasks. Rendered at the request and on behalf of local authorities, this service proves crucial for the 15 district branch, enabling it to cover the running costs (including those of employees and premises). On the territory of the Lubelskie Province Branch 7 district branches were conducting this kind ot activities, namely in Biłgoraj, Hrubieszów, Kraśnik, Lublin, Lubartów, Puławy and Zamość.
Home-based care for the bed-ridden was provided under orders of municipal and rural self- governments, as a result of a targeted competition or of a tender award.
PRC care entities in Biłgoraj, Hrubieszów, Lublin, Puławy, Tomaszów Lubelski and Zamość remunerated services were also rendered, including special care measures, at the request of individuals. This kind of activity seem in demand, since the number of requests has been increasing yearly. Demands come from those whose incomes exceed the limits set for beneficiaries of services provided by the Community Welfare Centers. In 2015 the a/m. service was rendered to 116 persons. Throughout the year, the number of hours spent by PRC care providers amounted to 22,936.
PRC female care assistants (“sisters”) are graduates of post-secondary schools for “community care providers” and have completed appropriate courses, entitling them to watch over persons suffering from mental disorders.
The care providers were employed under civil law contracts, social security contributions being deducted from their wages.
There is some cause for concern about budget cuts made at the expense of community welfare by self-governments of communities and towns. Increased cost sharing calculated for the elderly often causes a lessening number of service hours provided, or even a beneficiary’s renouncement.
As compared with preceding years, commissioned care hours, standard and specialized, rendered by PRC, have been diminishing in Hrubieszów and Puławy district branches, but rising in those of Kraśnik, Lubartów and Zamość.
In 2015, there was an ever-growing interest in care-related services advertised with posters, but also on the website of the Lubelskie Province District Board, targeting individuals.
The PRC Opolskie Province Branch was rendering care services on the basis of three agreements with the Opole City for the provision of care services, including the specialized ones for mentally disabled persons. In 2015, 123 standard patients were covered by the scheme, which totallized 51,926 hours on work days and 6,391 at weekends, whereas the municipal subsidy amounted to PLN 964.817. The specialzed services were provided to 35 persons (i.e. 21 mentally ill adults and 14 children with autism). The number of hours devoted was 15,568 and the earmarked donation reached PLN 283,922.
In Opole care services commissioned by Rawa Mazowiecka Community Welfare Centre, were extended for the whole year over one beneficiary; it required 864 hours worth PLN 14,256.
Throughout the year, the PRC Care Entity rendered care services to 57 individuals on a private basis; the workload was 3,573 hours, and its value, PLN 52,090.50. 16
A contract was signed with the Communal Welfare Center of Skarbimierz, for ordinary and specialized services alike. 6 persons benefited therefrom; the number of hours was 1,357, worth PLN 25,181. As for 31 December 2015, 18 PRC “sisters” were full-time staff members, whereas 75 care assistants were working under civil law contracts.
PRC Małopolskie Province Branch
The Polish Red Cross House in Cracow
PRC Małopolskie Province Branch, as part of the National Society, a provider of medical assistance, renders services consisting in long-term and palliative care. The activities were conducted by an entity called Medical and Rehabilitation Service Establishment until 2015, when after a reorganization the name was changed into The Polish Red Cross House in Cracow. The establishment was moved from the L. Rydygier Specialized Hospital to new premises, conceived and prepared on purpose at 5 Olszańska street. The patients were accommodated in double rooms, newly refurbished: rehabilitation equipment had been put in place, as well as new beds, bed linen and bedside tables. In the new department exercice halls had been equipped with devices that facilitate occupational and movement therapy. Besides, a chapel was set up and decorated thanks to some sponsors.
In October 2015 the PRC House (as well as all its components: Care and Medical Unit, Home-like Hospice and Long-term Nursing Entity) underwent a successful external audit and became holder of a certificate of Environmental Management System consisting with ISO PN-EN 9001 and PN-EN 140001, while for food the HACCP procedure was put into practice.
100 per cent benfit campaign
This campaign had been prepared and conducted in cooperation with the Urban Waste Disposal Company (UWDC) Ltd by the PRC Municipal Branch. An information telephone line was made available for the inhabitants of Cracow who wish to transmit to the NS their used clothing. The articles are collected by a PRC van, then sorted out and forwarded to a clothes delivery unit, to be distributed among persons eligible for relief from the Urban Welfare Assistance Center. The non-distributed clothes are being sold, and the proceeds are used to finance PRC statutory activities. Thus, thanks to a cooperation partnership with the UWDC, everyone is granted a 100 % benefit: city dwellers get rid of unnecessary garments, but are aware the latter will not be destroyed; those in need get a support consisting either in wearables or in a relief of another kind, financed by PRC from the proceeds of the sale; the UWDC cares about the environment and fulfils its mission.
The projects contributes to enhance social cohesion, inasmuch the inhabitants help each other; therefore PRC and UWDC are entities supporting the development of social assistance and respectful of nature conservation.
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“SILVER CLUB” for the elderly, at 19, Studencka street In the building of the PRC Małopolskie Province Branch a “Silver Club” was set up. Several times a week, seniors meet there to follow language and computer courses. They can also join a literary circle to discuss the books read, but also to learn the art of writing, by drafting their memoirs. An important part of the program are gym exercises, performed under the supervision of physiotherapists from the University School of Physical Education in Cracow.
West Pomerania Province Branch - In 2015 two new entities were created. The first one is a “Senior Wigor” day center, dedicated to the elderly, and the second one, a Community Self- Help House, type AC, for adults suffering from protracted mental diseases and showing behavioral disturbances.
1. “Senior-Wigor Day Center”, launched on 21.10. 2015 within the performance of public task bestowed by the Szczecin Communal Administration. To the end of 2015, 36 persons were visiting it, to benefit 988 times from activation and compensation exercises. The establishment was available on the average 10.5 hours a day (from 08:00 h. to 18h30). 15 kinds of activities were carried out there, focused on integration, e.g., handicraft, cuisine, meeting other people, including volunteers, table games, reading press and books, cinematherapy and bibliotherapy; work in group and on individual basis, visits of a psychologist, physical exertions, walking outdoors, computer and healthcare occupations, meeting with a nurse; learning foreign languages. Moreover warm meals were served to the day center’s utilizers. An important part of activities was focused on a workshop conducted by a psychologist who presented methods of sociotherapy and psychotherapy addressing groups and individuals. The participants acquired the knowledge of behavioral patterns and the ability to cope with emotions, aggression, stress; they learned to develop self-confidence, creativity, self-motivation, as well as self-presentation skills. Persons under care of the establishment gladly attended nutrition and healthy life workshops, but also first aid and English language courses. Some ladies participating in the activities started cooking together during culinary courses; as well as following art therapy courses, learning several techniques, like decoupage or origami. Were also proposed lectures on healthy lifestyle, wholesome nutrition and rational use of medicinal products. Relations between utilizers of the center became more familiar, thanks to common walks, cultural outings, group psychotherapy sessions or simple table games. The activities attended enable seniors to make new acquaintances or to participate in discussions and, in everyday situations, to provide help to each other.
2. Community-based self-help PRC House, type AC, for adults suffering from protracted mental diseases and showing behavioral disturbances has been operational since 01.12. 2015 in a PRC building in Stargard. Such an establishment, the first within the NS framework, proves a phenomenon in the country. Security and friendly atmosphere have been ensured, so that chronically insane people, generally accepted and understood, have better prospects for community integration. The structure of leisure time and the support, provided during activities aimed at improving psychical and social development, enable people to minimize social deficits resulting from their mental illnesses. If such people lack contacts with well- disposed persons and spend whole days in idleness (a form of casual discrimination), they remain under threat of social exclusion. However, frequenting this institution, they can acquire some knowledge and develop their gifts, thus improving their state of psychic and somatic health. Thanks to the functioning of this establishment, we counter isolation, solitude and discrimination. We help persons under our care, who have a physical, sensory, or cognitive disability, by organizing different kinds of occupational therapy focused on 18 developing and strengthening interpersonal skills. We contribute to bridging generational gap and to breaking the stereotype of madness by offering those affected a number of purposeful occupations, including workshops and meetings with volunteers. An important aspect of the “AC” type C-BS-H PRC House is granting the attending elderly a possibility of cooking their meals at a cuisine workshop. This Stargard institution offers a safe and friendly place to 14 persons looked after, who can develop their interests and undergo revalidation under the guidance of professional staff. Before makong the facilities available, the PRC building in Stargard had to be repaired and adapted to the would-be users’ needs. The task was financed from the budget of West Pomerania Governor’s Office and the funding was made through the local town administration. The total cost of renovation amounted to PLN 538,000.00.
Other institutions continued to render their services:
1. PRC Senior Day Care Center “Café Senior” in Stargard; its aim is to counter isolation and loneliness of older inhabitants, mainly of low socioeconomic status, experiencing mild physical or mental disabilities and who therefore require support in their daily life.
2. PRC Senior Club “Café Senior 2” in Szczecin, which was functioning throughout the year, affiliated to the PRC Provincial Board in Szczecin. Its objective is to promote the activities of under-estimated and marginalized seniors. It addresses the over-60 group, residents of the city center, where the percentage of elderly people proves considerable. Mainly NS members, volunteers, sympathizerss and employees were active within the Club, imparting their vigour to other participants.
3. PRC Day Care Centers under the label “The Merry Cottage”in Szcecin for children from dysfunctional families threatened by social exclusion. The aim is to set up a friendly haven for such infants and adolescents, to supplement their diet and to support their development. In 2015 the number of persons under care if this establishment was 70.
One of the main preventive health promotion tasks is to run a community hygiene unit (baths) for those affected by homelessness or under threat thereof. The unit’s aim is to improve their sanitary conditions, to persuade them into taking care of their hygiene, and thus to diminish a risk of infectious disease outbreaks. In 2015, 260 persons benefited 1,189 times from this facility. Apart from providing a bath, it offers personal hygiene items (soaps, shampoos, shavers, toilet paper, towels etc.). Moreover, a garment warehouse was made available to the beneficiaries all the year round: altogether 4,029.89 kg of clothes worth approximately PLN 47,148.78 were dealt out. The tasks is being performed with a support of State and local authorities in Szczecin. This field of activities becomes ever more significant, at a time of deepening poverty and rising homelessness, since the number of beneficiaries concerned has been increasing.
Besides, the National Society received ten consignments of foreign donations, worth PLN 52,187.00, as well as 2,870.527 kg of internal ones, worth 5,036.750.81
3. Promoting healthy lifestyle and developing Polish Red Cross Honorary Blood Donorship
1) Promoting principles of a healthy lifestyle and shaping health-oriented attitudes within the population remain one of PRC statutory core tasks. Programs in this field address mainly 19 youth and children, who in 2015 were offered possibility of participating in 13,125 competitions, training courses, lectures, sessions and other health-focused events, where the number of participants attained 344,818 young persons, whereas 41,344 adults took part in 787 events of the kind.
2) Quite popular has become the Nationwide Healthy Lifestyle Promotion Olympic Contest, organized in 2015 for the 23rd time. In the school stage of this competition took part 1,486 establishments, totalling 40,483 contestants: at the district level, respectively 1,397 and 2,521, and at the provincial level, 336 and 350.
In the school year 2014/2015 took place, throughout the country, the 23rd edition of the Healthy Lifestyle Promotion Olympic Contest, organized by PRC for pupils of lower and upper secondary schools. Altogether there were 34,572 participants from 1,537 establishments. Most of PRC district branches and all their provincial counterparts joined in the campaign, which passed smoothly.
In the first stage of the Nationwide Healthy Lifestyle Promotion “Olympic” Contest for the second time the participants were requested to fill in some online tests. Thanks to a partneship with Coca Cola HBC Poland, new technologies were again available; therefore the contest’s conduct was updated.
Honotrary patronage over this event was extended, that year, by the Minister of National Education, the Chief Sanitary Inspector, Rectors of the Łódź and Warsaw Medical Universities and the Director of the National AIDS Center.
The finals, at the national level, took place at Trylogia-Galop Hotel in Zielonka, 46, Poniatowskiego street, from 28 to 30 May 2015. Accommodation and catering costs were covered by the organizer, i.e. PRC Head Office, from the funds provided by the Partner (Coca Cola HBC Poland).
The agenda consisted of a 100 question test about threats to human health, appropriate nutrition, environmental conservation and principles of healty lifestyle. The contestants had to present before a jury an action conceived and performed by themselves, aimed at promoting healthy lifestyle, but also to practice CPR on a resuscitation mannikin and administer first aid to a victim of a simulated accident.
Some diversification was brought by a self-presentation workshop, conducted by Ms. Iwona Burzyńska, a PR professional, with a view to preparing the contestants to perform their health-oriented actions before a jury. Another attractive part of the finals was a concert of The Cookies group and a bubble football match, organized fot the participants outdoors. Additionally, workshops were proposed to tutors by a health promotor Martyna Opasińska, on how to motivate students to lead a healthy lifestyle and to commit themselves to physical activity.
32 secondary school students in two age groups (upper and lower) from 16 provinces took part in the Olympics finals.
The Evaluation Committee, having examined the results of different parts of the contest, decided to award: 20
1. in the lower secondary category to representatives of PRC provincial branches: the 1st of Lower Silesia (score 130, out of 151), the 2nd of Warmia & Masuria (score 119) and the 3rd of Mazovia (score 118). 2. in the upper secondary category to representatives of PRC provincial branches: the 1st of Lower Silesia (score 135 out of 151), of Łódzkie (score 133) and Wielkopolskie (132).
Three pro-health activities were distinguished; their authors received electric toothbrushes and vouchers, funded by Coca-Cola HBC Poland, worth PLN 200 each, to be spent on selected items in Decathlon stores.
The competitors having progressed to the finals in the two categories received for the 1st place, a sports camera GoPro, a Lenovo Tablet PC IdeaTab A3000-H; the 2nd place, Sony wireless earphones, a Lenovo Tablet PC IdeaTab A3000-H; the 3rd place, a set of Mobile Boombox Logitech speakers, a Lenovo Tablet PC IdeaTab A3000-H.
For the fourth time, the winner of supreme prize for the upper secondary category was granted the right to follow a chosen curriculum at the Łódź Medical University, Faculty of Health Sciences. The student record book was handed over by Prof. Małgorzata Węgrowska- Danilewicz, MD.
The following officials attended the closing ceremony of the 23rd edition of the Healthy Lifestyle Promotion Olympic Contest
o Prof. Małgorzata Węgrowska-Danilewicz, MD, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences of Łódź Medical University, on behalf ot this establishment’s Rectie, Prof. Paweł Górski, MD; o Mr Grzegorz Moskal, representative of the Olympic Contest’s partner Coca-Cola HBC Poland; o Ms Ilona Dziekańska-Gołąbek, representative of the Olympic Contest’s partner Coca- Cola HBC Poland; o Mr Sławomir Kaczyński, member of the Polish Red Cross Executive Board; o Mr Kamil Żuk, Chairman of the PRC Youth Council.
The 24th edition of the Nationwide Healthy Lifestyle Promotion Olympic Contest (2015/2016) o In 2015 was launched the 24th edition of the Nationwide Healthy Lifestyle Promotion Olympic Contest. At the school level for the third time contestants were allowed to chose testing modalities (on paper or online). Some 32,000 students from some 1,400 schools participated in this stage of the competition. At the district stage some 41,000 persons were involved in sports events, organized by the participants in local communities. o Honorary patronage over the 24th Contest has been assumed by the Minister of National Education, the State Sanitary Inspector, the National AIDS Centre Agenda of the Ministry of Health, as well as by Rectors of the Łódź and Warsaw Medical Universities. The event’s main partner became again Coca-Cola HBC Poland. o For the fifth time, the Rector of Łódź Medical University made a pledge to transmit a student record book to the winner of the upper secondary part of the contest, entitling him/her to choose a curriculum at the Faculty of Health Sciences of this establishment. 21
3) Health-focused activity comprises also prevention of epidemics and countering contagious diseases. e.g. AIDS, caused by an infection of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Many organizations have started fighting against this illness, among others Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies. PRC also has been conducting numerous activities in this field. Altogether, in 2015, in the country 1,801 HIV/AIDS training courses were conducted for 41,584 participants, including 2,711 adults. 13,912 health promotion and wholesome lifestyle awareness-raising campaigns, involving 386,162 persons, were carried out by provincial and district branches, including 787 campaigns for 41,344 adults. Throughout the year, 1,901 young persons participated in socially motivated 39 full-time and 517 in 19 part-time vacation shifts for social and health-related reasons, as well as in contact camps and training camps.
4) In 2015, the PRC Head Office coordinated several educational programs targeting children and youth:
“I care for my health” – concerning principles of wholesome food-making in kindergartens and lower primary school forms. The program’s aim is to strengthen the educational process through an information campaign and to promote appropriate nourishment. Within the program have been conceived and published posters, diplomas and education penels featuring food pyramid. During 2015, 270 establishments participated in the program, totalling 11,561 children.
“The Little Rescuer” – about the first aid education in primary school forms 1 to 4. For many years our NS has been conducting first aid training courses for adults, but also for children and young people. We try to reach all the age groups, by organizing such courses in schools of all levels, including universities, for teachers, for office or industral plant staffs etc. The “The Little Rescuer” program had been prepared for children and was implemented in 336 establishments, involving 9,827 children in early-school and school age.
“Don’t feel unconcerned: learn first aid skills”, the target group being secondary school students; a sort of introduction to life-saving behaviour. The purpose is to enable teachers to inform the teen-agers on accident prevention, to develop their readiness to bring help in case of emergency and to transmit the necessary skills.
“Friendly Super-Squirrel, friend of jack and Jill” – the program, designed for kindergartens and lower primary school forms is aimed at fostering proper hygiene and security habits; its purpose is also to help children develop their tolerance and need to assist those in need. Implemented in 378 establishments, the program involved 16,288 children in the relevant age-group.
“Let’s safeguard children’s smiles”m, educational program – in collaboration with Wrigley Inc., under the patronage of the Polish Dental Association and the Polish Association of Pediatric Dentistry, in cooperation with LUX MED Inc., 3rd edition, 10,500 primary school pupils underwent dental check-up free of charge, whereas more than 97,000 children learned about appropriate dental care in the framework of this campaign. From 5 September to 6 November 2015, mobile dental cabinets visited 26 primary schools in 6 provinces (Wielkopolskie, Silesia, Lower Silesia, Kuyavia & Pomerania, Małopolskie and Lubuskie), where caries prevalence proves high (attaining as many as 88% in the age group 6 22 to 12 years). Have been examined the theeth of school-attending children not only in cities like Poznań, Wrocław, Cracow, Katowice, Bydgoszcz and Toruń, but also in towns (like Knurów, Poczesna, Otyń, Mikłuszowice or Żagań), but mobile cabinets also called at larger towns like Ostrów Wielkopolski, Zielona Góra, Piła, Legnica, Wałbrzych, Grudziądz, Włocławek and Bytom). For participant children and teenagers, sets of materials had been prepared: for those aged 6 to 9, entitled “I and my teeth” and for those aged 10 to 12, “I and my smile”. Caries remains a serious problem in Poland. The results of a survey-based report of IPSOS, made at the request of Wrigley Inc. after the program’s first edition, are cause for high concern. Only one out of every four primary school pupils brushes his/her teeth at least once a day. Caries affects as many as 80% of the 6 – 12 age group. The campaign’s objective is to help them create the habit of teeth cleaning after every meal or at least twice a day. In selected schools in the country, classes prepared by PRC are conducted as part and parcel of the program.
5) Activities in this field were also conducted by NS provincial and district branches, e.g.:
- PRC Świętokrzyskie Province Branch: at the end of May/beginning of June 2015 a pro- health film competition was finalized. Launched under the motto: “Choosing healthy food, cooking healthy meals”, addressing students of 5th grade of primary and 1st and 2nd grades of lower secondary schools – participating in the education program “Keep our form” – the contest aims at educating school-attending children and youth, but also their families, about healthy eating, by promoting principles of a healthy lifestyle.
The organizer were PRC Świętokrzyski Province Branch and the Province Sanitary Inspectorate, whereas the task of participants consisted in making a film featuring a wholesome dish. The competition was held at two levels: district and provincial. 145 films were sent in, and 45 pretenders received prizes. The latter had been funded by the Province Marshal’s Office in Kielce. The finals took part during a conference on the occasion of World AIDS Day.
- PRC Wielkopolskie Province Branch – one of the biggest health promotion campaigns carried out on the territory of this branch was the education program “I know how to save a life”, targeting primary school-attending children and teenagers from the city of Poznań and its district. A 1.5 hour course was performed on pre-medical first aid, for 2,189 persons in scholastic establishments. To conclude it, a contest was organized, involving pupils of the 5th grade of primary school. The action’s aim was to help the participants acquire the habits of rendering assistance to people in need, and of giving basic first aid in emergency. Theory and practical skills, adapted to the age and profiles of the young persons, were on the agenda. The competition proved popular, since 21 teams took part therein from the region of Poznań.
- World AIDS Day was commemorated for the purpose of shedding light on the hardships of those living with HIV/AIDS, of showing solidarity with them, of sensitizing the public on the risk for everybody and of triggering a debate on this issue.
- The World AIDS Day was an opportunity to perform, in many towns of our province, happenings, marches for tolerance, street exhibitions; brochures and leaflets were distributed during all those events.
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The patronage over all the PRC actions was assumed by MONAR association, the sanitary and anti-epidemic services, the police, education authorities, the local media, as well as governmental and self-governmental administrations.
In the province in schools of different levels, many education actions were conducted, consisting of lectures, exhibitions, art competitions, movie displays; in certain establishments school magazines or leaflets were prepared, but also PA system broadcasts.
In 2015 celebration of the World AIDS Day included a large event at Wolności square in Poznań, where an address on this subject was followed by a fire show performance, dedicated to the appropriate preventive measures.
6) In 2015, 1,128 PRC Voluntary Blood Donor Clubs, totalling 25,524 members were active within the National Society, as well as 61,490 volunteers. They donated altogether 133.523.54 litres of blood, which stands for 30% of total blood volume received from honorary donors.
A number of initiatives were taken throughout the country to promote blood donorship, including 3,350 events and initiatives, i.a.:
- 12th edition of the Nationwide School and University Tournament, “Young blood saves life”, with the participation of 29,592 schoolmates and 4,274 students who donated a total of 17,416 litres of blood.;
- 10th edition of the operation “Firemen in HBD – Ardent Rescuer – Hot Blood”, in collaboration with the National Headquarters of the State Fire Service and with the Executive Board of the Association of Voluntary Fire Brigades in the Republic of Poland. 47 detachments of the State Fire Service, 196 units of voluntary brigades and 26 rescue and extinguishing units took part in the project. Altogether, in 2015, 3,686 firepersons donated blood and promoted the idea of the non-remunerated gesture. As a result of the program’s implementation, almost 9,344 litres of blood were collected from firepersons and donors encouraged by them.
- 8th edition of “We collect blood for Poland” campaign – together with a group of independent businesspersons, under the label “Musketeers Group” (Intermarché and Bricomarché supermarket chains) – deployed in 14 provinces, covering 148 localities. Numerous promotion actions were conducted: first aid shows, displays of rescue techniques, arts competitions and stage performances. During 22 weeks, more than 3,600 persons donated 1,622 litres of blood and the actions were accompanied by a series of events promoting a healthy lifestyle and honorary blood donorship, e.g. contests for children and promotional displays.
- 7th edition of the operation conducted jointly with Motorcycle Clubs, active under the umbrella of the Congress of Polish Motorcyclist Clubs, “Motor-Heart: blood is a gift of life”, which took place in 90 towns on 18 April 2015 and yielded 3,684 litres of blood.
In compliance with provisions of the Act on the Public Blood Service concerning the procedure for medal awarding, with financial support from the Ministry of Health, the 24
National Society conferred the “Honorary Blood Donor Medal” and the respective title upon 32,117 persons.
Every year, in November, the Voluntary Blood Donorship Days are celebrated, when the most deserving donors obtain State decorations – “Honorary Blood Donor Decoration: Meritorious to National Health” – but also PRC Honorary Blood Donor Medals, “Crystal Heart”, and other decorations awarded by the National Society. In 2015 the President of the Republic of Poland bestowed State medals upon individuals for their achievements in blood donorship and in disseminating the Red Cross values: - Cavalier’s Cross of Polonia Restituta Order – 4 persons; - Gold Cross of Merit – no recipient, as for the two decorations listed below, - Silver Cross of Merit - Bronze Cross of Merit; The Crosses of Merit (Gold, Silver and Bronze) were awarded in January 2016. Besides, 236 persons were awarded, by the Minister of Health, “the Honorary Blood Donor Decoration: Meritorious to National Health“, whereas the Chapter of “Crystal Heart” bestowed this decoration upon 83 deserving voluntary blood donors.
Apart from the above mentioned activities conducted at the national level, provincial and district branches were organizing promotion actions, also aimed at integrating the community of voluntary blood donors:
PRC Lubuskie Province Branch The PRC Recreation and Training Centre in Sława is open to children, youth and voluntary blood donors. We organize there the district stage of the PRC First Aid Championship, where take part children and youth from primary, lower secondary and upper secondary schools. Blood donors come from the whole country, at the end of every summer season, to ride in the National Motor-car Rally; their presence has become a tradition in the last week-end of September. In 2015 a jubilee, 10th conference “Invaluable gift”, on blood therapy and donorship was a great success: physicians, psychologists and professors explain complicated problems in a simple way to their youth audience. To this event, taking place on the premises of Zielona Góra University, are always invited people who live thanks to organ transplants. Another record was broken, inasmuch the arts contest proved children’s and young people’s creative capacities needing to be enhanced. 1,190 works ad been sent in from 119 education establishments.
PRC Wielkopolskie Province Branch on 25 November 2015 a happening was made called “PRC Tram Jamboree”. An antique rail vehicle promoting blood donorship crisscrossed the streets of Poznań. At each tram-stop passengers and passers-by were encouraged to donate blood by voluntary youth instructors distributing comprehensive leaflets. 29 PRC volunteers were involved in this action promoting also bone marrow transplantation, and the number of persons reached was approximately 3,000.
To promote voluntary blood donorship among youth, in 2015 a short-film making competition, dedicated to lower and upper school-attending youth from the province, was launched under the motto “By giving blood you save someone’s life”. 27 students from 25 establishments took part in this contest.
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4. Disseminating the Fundamental Principles and humanitarian values of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, of international humanitarian law applicable to armed conflicts; encourageing tolerance and respect for human dignity
1) Spreading knowledge about the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement remains one of the key statutory objectives of the Polish Red Cross. Within this framework the following achievements should be mentioned:
The 19h edition of the Course on International Humanitarian Law of armed conflicts, held from 17 to 21 May 2015 took place, organized by the PRC IHL Dissemination Center, Radziejowice, in a cultural workers residence of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, who was the course’s co-organizer, together with the Minstry of National Defence. The group of 24 trainees consisted of university students, representatives of the Headquarters of the Polish Fire Service, members of the armed forces or units subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior, as well as employees of PRC branches and NGO activists. The lecturers were members of the PRC Committee for Disseminating IHL, officials from the Ministry of National Defence and the National Defence University. The workshops, like in precedent years, were focused on case studies related with the contents of lectures. Professor Remigiusz Bierzanek Memorial Contest – The closing ceremony was marked by the hand-over of awards to the winners of the 18th edition of Professor Remigiusz Bierzanek Memorial Contest of LL.B. and LL.M. dissertations and LL.D. theses treating of IHL. The prizes had been funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Legal and Treaty Department). A call for candidates was launched, in view of the contest’s following edition, and posters were sent out to large universities in Poland. PRC Committee for Dissemination of the International Humanitarian Law, attached to the Executive Board held two sessions in 2015. At the top of the agenda were traditionally the Polish and the International Courses on IHL in Radziejowice, and Professor Remigiusz Bierzanek Memorial Contest Another topic was a project concerning the use of drones of the Foundation of Initiatives for International Criminal Law and Human Rights in Central and Eastern Europe. The National Committee of Red Cross Emblem Protection held one session and several remote consultations. At the central level, 43 cases were taken up, out of which 21 consisted in consultations and 22 in interventions. As a contribution to the International Movement’s statutory session, the Committee also gave their opinion on the logotype to be used in case of full-scale emergency responses to disasters. The Inter-ministerial Committee for International Humanitarian Law: PRC representatives participated in this body’s regular meetings, in order to report on the fulfillment of humanitarian pledges. Lectures and training courses – the Department’s staff-members took part in a seminar in IHL at the faculty of law at Warsaw University and conducted a series of lectures and workshops for soldiers and NCOs organized by the Military Centre for Civic Education and the National Defence University. Lectures on IHL were also delivered in the framework of CIMIC in Kielce. IHL Library - in 2015 the IHL Dissemination Centre was opening access to its resources for teachers, students and pupils not only from Warsaw, but from the whole country, who could either read on the spot, or borrow books. The premises were updated, whereas new publications were registered, by courtesy of IFRC and ICRC. For Exploring Humanitarian Law, again the e-learning course was carried out, prepared together with the Ministry of Education and the Centre for Education Development. The target group were teachers in charge of civic education and military preparation of their 26 students. 120 persons were involved; besides about 600 sets of reference materials on CDs were forwarded to the schools concerned.
PRC provincial and district boards conducted several actions aimed at disseminating IHL; among others: PRC Lubuskie Province Branch. 108 6th-grade students from 38 primary schools competed in the 35th edition of the RC, PRC and IHL knowledge contest, organized by the Lubuskie Province Branch. In the finals the competitors pitted their wits against 31 open-ended test questions (including a cross-word puzzle). Their knowledge about the Geneva Convention, the book “A Memory of Solferino” and the history of Polish Red Cross were evaluated. They were also requested to write down, in a few words, the reason(s) why they joined PRC.
PRC Świętokrzyskie Province Branch In disseminating IHL the most interesting initiatives of this branch were the following:
On 30 September 2015, by courtesy of the commander and lecturers of the Centre for Preparation for Foreign Missions in Kielce, for the second time, a series of workshops on IHL applied to armed conflicts were carried out for some 200 teachers and students from the province.
On 7 October 2015 in Kielce Garrison Club took place the 3rd edition of IHL workshop conducted by the vice-president of the PRC local district branch; the audience consisted of about 280 students and pedagogues from upper secondary schools of the province. Much attention was paid to Mr. Andrzej Antoń from the PRC Head Office, addressing the situation in refugee camps and the work of volunteers. The speech ended with an appeal to young people to fight for peace, but with no weapons in hand.
2) Polish Red Cross, on the order of the government, runs a National Tracing Service, provided for by the Geneva Conventions. Among the main responsibilities of this unit are activities for the sake of victims of the Second World War, other armed conflicts and natural disasters. It also conducts researches for humanitarian reasons. In 2015 the Service received letters concerning 11,889 persons, from the country and from abroad, out of which - tracing and establishing the fate of family members – 1,468; - issuing certificates of war vicissitudes – 2,095; - searching for war graves – 6,123; - various matters from the country and from abroad – 2,203.
Throughout the year, 3,878 particular cases were settled, the number of inquiries opened amounts to 3,634 and of applicants received personally, to 6,298. Besides: - 449 new individual documents, obtained from Polish and foreign archives, were filed; - 44,185 nominative documents concerning victims of war were registered; - 11,081 genuine documents were scanned, regarding victims of the Second World War.
The following actions were also carried out in 2015 by the PRC NTS: - 27 January the Head of Service took part in the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp.
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In March the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva, responding to the need to speedily and efficiently exchange information about migrants arriving to Europe, set up a communications platform called Regional Information Center, in order to better coordinate the relief activities of several National Societies, as well as to enable them to inform each other of rules and regulations in respective countries. The PRC NTS has been invited with eight other sister Societies to be part of this project.
On 13 April a representative of the Service participated in a debate under the title “Poland and Russian historical memory”, at the opening of the exhibition “The painful truth, prayer for the dead. Polish places of remembrance in Russia”.
On 13 May the Head of Service took part in the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Union of Warsaw Insurgents.
- For the second time the Service, within the “Museum at Night” campaign, on 16 May, it made available to the public its nonpareil archives, including genuine files containing data of concentration camp prisoners, registers of hospitals for wounded insurgents and other items of evidence related to the Warsaw uprising, but also death certificates of Polish nationals who passed away in camps and prisons on the territories of Germany and Poland. The visitors had an opportunity to find out if the name of a relative had been registered, or to submit a request for tracing.
From 26 to 30 May the Head of Service attended the yearly meeting of representatives of European Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ tracing services, convened that year to Dublin by the ICRC. Delegates from RC NS of the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand were also present. Under debate was the problem they all face in everyday work, in particular in countries most affected by an influx of refugees from Africa and Syria. The agenda comprised also the activities of tracing services in Ukraine’s neighbouring countries, and attention was paid to the preparation of those NS to welcome an increased inflow of migrants.
On 2 June the Deputy Head of Service took part in an UNHCR seminar on the situation of foreign children in Poland.
From 8 to 10 June the Head of Service participated in the 11th All-Poland Archival Seminar in Koszalin, devoted to collecting, evaluating, securing and managing personal evidence, in a broad sense.
On 15 June the Head of Service attended an international scientific conference “Reappraisal of communist dictatorship. 25 years of European experience: achievements and failures”, and the following day the 15th anniversary celebrations of the Institute of National Remembrance.
On 11 July the Head of Service took part in the commemoration of the 72nd anniversary of Volhynia massacres.
On 4 September the Head of Service attended the 20th anniversary celebration at the German War Cemetery in Przemyśl.
On 15 and 16 September a representative of the Service was present at the conference on the schooling of foreign children, co-organized by UNHCR and the Ministry of National Education. 28
On 27 September the Head of Service attended the opening of the mausoleum, Pantheon of Doomed Soldiers.
On 30 September the Service was represented by a staff member at the 18th Foreigners’ Forum affiliated to the governor of Mazovia province.
From 30 September to 2 October the Head of Service and her Deputy took part in the yearly meeting of archivists and database professionals dealing with WWII-related documents.
From 9 to 12 November the Head of Service participated in the meeting of Red Cross Tracing Service representatives charged with developing the communication platform called Regional Information Center. The gathering’s aim was to evaluate the program after the initial phase, as well as to discuss the inquiry procedures applicable to migrants in countries of South Europe, crossed, every day, by thousands of migrants making their way to target countries in the western part of our continent. The meeting was attended by delegates of Red Cross National Societies from Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania and Slovenia, as well as representatives of the ICRC.
From 18 to 20 November, that year in Warsaw, staff members of the Service coordinated and attended the yearly meeting of Red Cross employees, “European Anti-Trafficking Network”, aimed at discussing measures taken against the organized crime of the kind and at providing assistance to its victims.
On 7 December a representative of the Service took part in a conference, organized by UNHCR, considered as a follow-up to a series of meetings with recognized refugees, migrants whose cases were still under consideration and those who were granted subsidiary protection. The topics under discussion were the current situation in overt and non-overt centers, plans for the near future of the Office for Foreigners concerning purchase tenders and the Border Guard’s intention to alleviate requirements in detention centers. Immigration policy was also considered, particularly in view of the envisaged reception of relocated and displaced refugees.
On 10 December a delegate of the Service participated in a conference on the situation of refugee women, organized within the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence” campaign, jointly with UNHCR, the Multicultural Center in Warsaw and the local Austrian Cultural Forum.
3) Activities aimed at shaping humanitarian attitudes, sensitiveness to human suffering and respect for human dignity, targeting mainly children and youth. In this respect projects are being implemented in PRC school and university circles, in Voluntary Youth Instructors (SIM) groups, and through their mediation, in numerous local communities. In 2015 were active: - 2,711 circles (school, universities and SIM groups) totalling 46,768 members and 30,885 volunteers. - 908 “Squirrel Clubs” organized in kindergartens and first grade primary school classes. totalling 29,158 members. The programs implemented in this age group of the Society’s members and volunteers focused on welfare assistance, countering social dysfunctions, security in a broad sense, 29 functioning within a community, children and youth development, and last but not least, on health and wholesome lifestyle. Getting involved in campaigns like “Gold rush” “Outfit for a schoolmate”, “Easter with PRC” or “Red Cross Christmas Eve”, made them more aware of other people's needs, able to render assistance and respectful towards the principles of community life.
5. Strengthening the National Society’s core, organizational and financial capacities, in order to make it execute statutory tasks more efficiently.
As one of key areas of the NS activity, it has a considerable impact on its functioning. Within this scope, The National Council had set four strategic goals: - to modify the NS structure and organizational scheme, as well as the functioning of statutory bodies, in order to more effectively support the activities of members and volunteers, - to ensure adequate funding for the functioning and activities of PRC, including the implementation of the programs adopted, - to efficiently manage and develop human resources, - to professionalize promotion activities conducted by PRC.
In 2015 were functioning 16 provincial branches, 212 district branches and 24 PRC delegations. Besides, apart from school and university circles, “SIM” groups, “Squirrel” clubs and Voluntary Blood Donors Clubs, referred to in other parts of this report, there were 269 circles (professional or in communities), totalling 6,400 adult members (in community-based groups or ndustrial plants), and 6,234 volunteers. Altogether in all basic units (circles, clubs, adult and youth groups) were enlisted as members 79,131 persons, in 2015. During the year their number increased by 2,368, whereas the number of basic units lessened by 34.
Moreover, cooperated with the NS 98,421 volunteers, including 30,885 children and young people, 61,302 persons in the voluntary donors movement and 6,243 in other adult milieus. From among the 212 district branches mentioned in reports of their provincial counterparts, 19 do not meet the requirement of § 22, section 1 of the PRC statutes (to have at least 3 basic units totalling mature NS members); among those branches, 2 reported neither circles of members, nor clubs, while 5 district branches failed to communicate any data.
In 2014 were employed by the NS: - 790 persons on a permanent basis (including 689 women): 175 in provincial branch offices and 176 in district branch offices and delegations, 70 at the Head Office, 6 in PRC training centers, 55 in care centers (as heads of posts or commissioned nurses), 208 healthcare providers (PRC “sisters”), 85 in PRC care centers, and 15 persons running business activities; - 4,763 persons working under temporary contracts, including 3,537 PRC healthcare assistants (“sisters”), 69 in PRC care centers, 196 in provincial branch offices, 169 in district branch offices and delegations, 10 in the Head Office, 6 in training centers, 130 runing business activities and 56 heads of posts or commissioned nurses.
- Promotion of the NS
1% - in 2015 we continued the campaign addressing all the personal income tax-payers. For that purpose again the slogan was used containing significant digits and one of the main objectives, i.e. to fill empty stomachs. Further one reads: “Helping is simpler than you think! Remember this National Court Register number and transfer 1% of your income to make the 30 poorest children benefit from warm meals, holiday camps and education kits. Support the Polish Red Cross!!!”. In 2015 funds yielded by the “1% PIT program” were earmarked to finance the “Decent childhood” campaign. Within its scope were provided meals at school canteens and day centers, supported summer holiday camp, purchased school equipment, preparedChristmas or Easter food parcels and organized after-hour education activities. The Promotion Department of Head Office distributed the materials among provincial branches and produced a webpage dedicated to settling tax liabilities: http://www.pck.pl/pages,195html, where a software program facilitating the calculation was made available. Provincial branches received also graphic designs ready to be printed and used in local broadcast messages.
Project “Textiles” In 2015 the Promotion Department created a webpage for the “Textiles” project (including release of content and layout): www.pck.pl/tekstylia .
The campaign “Being seen means being safe” Om 2015 we joined as honorary patron this campaign conducted under the patronage of the General Police Headquarters and the National Road Safety Council. Its aim is to make everybody aware how important it is for children to wear reflective items while on the road. This practice is meant to increase security of the youngest pedestrians on motorways. Thus, parents and children are reminded of such a necessity.
Campaigns under the label “Decent Childhood” - Very good manners In 2015 we continued “Very good manners” – a program involving restaurants, where customers cross their cutlery after the meal (with reference to the red cross emblem); consequently, a token amount of PLN 5, added to the bill, is to be earmarked for charitable purpose. As part of this activity a media kit was prepared, materials were posted on the webpage: www.dobremaniery.pck.pl, as well as on Facebook, and a dedicated fanpage was set up. However, having no more coordinator and lacking funds for advertising and materials, a decision was taken to put an end to the campaign in December 2015.
Fundraising in TESCO stores
Since four years PRC has been cooperating with TESCO Poland in organizing collection actions for the purpose of financing the “Decent Childhood” program’s beneficiaries. The proceeds are used to buy contents of Christmas parcels, school lunches and summer holidays for deprived children. Every year three collections are carried out: at Christmas, Easter and in September (for purchase of school supply kits). In 2015 the amount of almost PLN 305,000 was collected in the three instances. The total yield of the campaign (since 2012) attains almost PLN 1,000,000!
- Nurture the World In the course of the implementation of “Decent Childhood”, in 2015, a program called “Nurture the World” was carried on. This global campaign, triggered off in the USA, was launched also in Brazil and since 2014 has been implemented in Europe under the label “Nurture the World Europe”. In Poland, since 10 February 2014, by buying products labelled 31 with its logo, everybody can support this school feeding program implemented by PRC. The first item sold was a cotton bag “Nurture PL5”; respective proceeds sufficed for five meals of one Polish school-attending child. - In 2015 we managed to enter into cooperation (on a non-profit basis) with a graphic artist; she made a new design of the 7 Red Cross and Red Crescent Fundamental Principles, since we were marking the 50th anniversary of their adoption. “Power of Humanity - the Fundamental Principles in Action” is the slogan to celebrate the World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, and the 32nd International Conference, held in December. PRC joined all the sister societies worldwide in the commemorative jubilee debate. We produced and made available on our webpage online greetings cards, to be loaded up and sent out during the Red Cross Week as a token of memory.
A company we persuaded into cooperation in 2015 was Procter & Gamble; then Kaufman supermarket network followed. A nationwide campaign was launched, carried out under the motto “From the heart to children”, aimed at bringing relief to offsprings of poverty-stricken families. The action’s ambassador was an actress, Katarzyna Cichopek. The twofold donation received from P&G consisted of Pampers diapers worth altogether almost PLN 150,000, and of a PLN 202,000 cash transfer, not to mention all the expenses for the campaign incurred. An amount of PLN 14,315 has been received.
- A token of donation On 14 June 2015, the World Blood Donor Day, jointly with 3M (Viscoplast) company, we started a campaign entitled “A token of donation”, aimed at encourageing people to donate blood. Every year PRC has been launching donation appeals during summer holidays. In 2015 we did it together with Viscoplast; this traditional Polish brand is widely known in the country for a variety of adhesive tapes to be laid on minor wounds, corns and excoriations. Sticking plasters naturally adhere and refer to blood: henceforth they become also a donation campaign logos. During the whole month of June education activities were carried out, focused on blood donorship, i.a. in retail stores, by distributors and on social media sites of the company, always supported by the “token of donation”. In several Polish cities an outdoor education campaign with the same focus was also conducted. Promotional messages were widespread in public transport facilities in Warsaw, Gdańsk and neigbouring municipalities, Łódź, Cracow, Poznań, Szczecin and Katowice. Additionally, in Polish hospitals and infirmaries promotional posters were hanging, and radio stations were broadcasting apeals for blood donations not only on the World Blo `od Donor Day. The full cost of this campaign, amounting to PLN 2,000,000, was met by 3M.
PRC Małopolskie Province Branch, while preparing celebrations of the National Society’s 100th anniversary, in June 2015 commemorated the first President of the Polish Red Cross Society, Prince Paweł Sapieha. In front of his place of birth, Sanguszko Palace in Gumniska, a quarter of Tarnów, a memory board was unveiled and in the surrounding park, a dedicated oak tree was planted. Representatives of PRC branches of Sub-Carpathian, Lubelskie and Mazowieckie provinces took part in the ceremonies, accompanied by standard- bearing teams from PRC Małopolskie province branch. Ms. Maria Osterwa-Czekaj, the granddaughter of Prince Sapieha, was honorary guest.
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International Cooperation
In 2015, apart from the activities mentioned earlier in this report, cooperation was conducted with other components of the International Movement and with external partners.
- Participation was maintained in the activities of the European Legal Supporters Group. - Contacts with organizers of NATO Compact Eagle simulation exercise were assured (by means of a focused consultation).
Cooperation was carried on in the framework of the project concerning drones, implemented together with the foundation Initiative for International Criminal Law and Human Rights in Central and Eastern Europe. The campaign, called “5 MT above the ground”, consisting in a discussion-based civic education and in a provision of knowledge, aims at driving the public’s attention to different aspects of the use of unmanned combat air vehicle systems (UAVs). In our understanding, international law does not justify an outright opposition to whatever kind of development or usage of UAVs. However questions are being raised and reproaches expressed, concerning their use in specific circumstances and in particular, their functioning under very limited supervision of human operators. The project partners request that the development and use of UAVs should be consistent with the international law and, last but not least, respectful to human rights.
Within the Anti-Trafficking Network, a partner meeting of concerned National Societies took place to discuss this type of criminal activity. La Strada foundation, a leading NGO supporting victims of such offences was also present.
Negotiations had been resumed with the government of the Polish Republic; consequently, five humanitarian pledges, containing guidelines for cooperation, were signed at the International Conference of Red Cross and Red Crescent.
A project was carried out, financed by the budget of Ministry of Foreign Affairs within the program “Humanitarian Aid 2015”, under the title “Improving access to healthcare for internally displaced persons in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast”. The project consists in a distribution of 1255 vouchers among selected groups of refugees threatened by social exclusion. Its objectives are: to make available, free of charge, medicines and means of hygiene, to reduce adoption of negative strategies for coping with crisis by 750 families of internal refugees facing particular hardships; to strengthen local structures of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, to coordinate activities through monitoring of the implementation, to organize meetings and workshops, as well as to support the local economy, namely Ukrainian businesspersons from Dnipropetrovsk district, by purchasing medical supplies in refugee settlements’ vicinities. Another project was implemented, “Young people against HIV - strengthening the capacities of the Belarusian Red Cross in the field of HIV/AIDS education in the Brest and Grodno oblasts”, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (grant “Polish Development Assistance 2015”). The project consists in training 40 volunteers of the National Society to become AIDS prevention providers, and in organizing a series of workshops for the beneficiaries, i.e. people aged 15 to 31, who according to government statistics, because of their lifestyle, constitute the most vulnerable group. The project aims at making some 2700 persons aware of the danger and thus at contributing to a drop in AIDS-related mortality and in new HIV infections in Belarus.
Cooperation activities carried out directly by PRC branches in 2015 33
(PC – Provincial Branch; DB – District Branch)
Ord. PRC PRC district Partner NS Type of cooperation nos provincial branches, branch basic units 1. Lower Silesia PRC PB German RC exchange of experiences in Cloppenburg rescuing, participation in DB Środa German RC exercises; partnership in core Śląska Strucklingen areas; community welfare; DB Zgorzelec German RC social assistance in kind, Görlitz depending on needs, support to development of youth activities 2. Lubelskie PRC PB Ukrainian RC, joint implementation of program Volhynia “Volhynia Youth First Aid District Champions”; exchange visits, exchange of experiences 3. Małopolskie PRC PB Ukrainian RC organization of winter camp, donation of books, exchange of experiences 4. Mazowieckie DB Otwock German RC exchange of experiences, in-kind Lennestadt relief, mutual visits 5. Silesian PRC PB German RC partnership visits Oberhausen 6. Warmia- PRC PB German RC joint participation in first aid Mazuria Mecklemnurg- championship; cooperation in Vorpommern rescuing, exchange visits of youth and their joint participation in holiday camps; as well as in an educational travel “In the footsteps of Henry Dunant” Russian RC exchange of experiences, Kaliningrad common organization of youth camps 7. Wielkopolskie DB Oborniki German RC educational meetings focused on Lüchow- health promotion Dannenberg 8. West PRC PB German RC joint participation in first aid Pomerania Schwerin championship, visit of PRC delegation concerning second- hand clothes collection DB Koszalin German RC Donation received by PRC of a Osnabrück consignment of rehabilitation equipment for the handicapped
Cooperation with organizations operating abroad:
PRC Małopolskie Province Branch: In cooperation with the International Association of Journalists in Ukraine was carried out a campaign “Donate a Book”; in its framework, publications in the Polish language, once collected, were distributed among school libraries in 34
Lutsk in Ukraine. T. Chałubiński Memorial Club affiliated to Petrochemical Azoty Group in Tarnów and Rh Wings Voluntary Blood Donors Club at Cracow Airport played an active part in this action. Representatives of the PRC provincial branch carried a consignment of books of several MT containing i.a. numerous copies of masterpieces of Polish literature.
From 9 to 17 January 2015, PRC Subcarpathian Province Branch co-organized with Bieszczady Border Guard Detachment in Przemyśl, a winter camp for 40 children from Ukraine in “Iskra” Hotel in Rzeszów. During they stay in Poland the school-attending foreign guests visited Krosno Glass Factory, Solina-Myczkowce Hydro-Electric Power Plant and Natural History Museum in Bieszczady National Park. They had also acces to a swimming- pool participated in a horse-drawn sleigh ride and in a bonfire rejoicing.
In the Silesian Province Branch, the Bytom District counterpart cooperated with the Association of Drohobych Region, for the purpose of sending relief to people in need in Ukraine.
IV. Business activities
Health care serfices: Provincial and district branches render health care services also upon commission for individuals.
First Ltd Company – PRC Małopopskie Privince District
On 2 January 2015 an authenticated deed was signed by PRC Executive Board President Stanisław Kracik and a member of this body, Jerzy Kornasus, establishing the first limited company within our National Society, with a view to managing the training and rehabilitation center in Mszana Dolna. The center’s manager has been appointed President of the Company’s Executive Board, while the Board consists of the President and the Vice-President of the PRC provincial branch board and of the director of the local branch office. According to the certificate of incorporation, during five fiscal years the net income obtained must cover only expenses related to the Company’s activities and its development, whereas the partner shall be excluded from profit-sharing for that period. The main activities of the Company consist in offering food and accommodation to batches of holiday-makers (summer and winter holiday camps, rehabilitation, relaxation and recreation sojourns etc.). To meet the rising demand, the Company starts looking for customers, by proposing catering services or by organizing occasional receptions at clients’ request. The establishment intends to develop its activities as a provider of recreational stays for young people and for the elderly. The first fiscal year was marked by a net profit of the Company, amounting to PLN 12,731.33.
PRC Lower Silesia Province Branch In 2015 a company was set up, called “Emergency Life Support PRC Ltd”; its objectives are emergency activities, functioning of hospitals and paramedical services. The company owns a newly manufactured ambulance. In 2015, under contract with the National Health Fund, it provided medical transportation within primary health care scheme in Trzebnica county. In 2016, in the local hospital, it bids for a patient transport contract.
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V. Polish Red Cross governing and executive bodies
The PRC National Congress held it session in compliance with the PRC Statutes, in order to examine yearly reports (descriptive and financial) on the NS activities in 2014 and of granting discharge to members of the PRC Executive Board, on the motion of the PRC Main Revision Commission.
The Executive Board met 10 times in 2015 and adopted 151 resolutions, concerning, i.a. legal and financial empowerment, statutory activities or organizational policies.
The Presidium of the Executive Board met 8 times, usually before the Board’s sessions, in order to evaluate draft materials submitted.
The Jury of the PRC Honorary Decoration met twice, examining to award 912 medals, as a tribute to deserving persons and institutions: - to 62, of first degree, - to 106, of second degree, - to 229, of third degree, - to 515, of fourth degree.
IV. Supervision In 2015 in PRC, 151 external inspections were performed by communal and municipal councils, Agricultural Market Agency, Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights, Main School Superintendent’s Office, State Sanitary Inspectorate, Polish Social Insurance Institution, Community Welfare Services, Agricultural and Food Quality Inspection, National Health Fund, National Labour Inspectorate. As many as 147 monitoring instances had a positive outcome. In 12 cases, audit recommendations were issued.
Drafted by Katarzyna Stępińska Head of Program Department Polish Red Cross Head Office