In 2018, 7,494 new plasma donors came to give their best in our donor centers. A plasma donation can only be done at a regular donor center because it requires a special collection device that separates the plasma from the blood. After all, unlike a blood donation, you get your blood cells back.

Belgian Red Cross-Flanders has been mandated by the government since 2017 to collect 5% more plasma each year than the previous year. So we are always looking for new donors! Would you like to join Team Plasma? Then check here where you can go in your area!

Not sure what plasma is? No worries! We're happy to explain that to you in the video below.

At Belgian Red Cross-Flanders , we realize that it is not obvious for everyone to go on vacation - even though everyone needs one from time to time. Therefore, in 2018 we organized 19 Adapted Vacations for people with mental and/or physical disabilities and their caregivers. The elderly are also welcome on these vacations.

Together with more than 200 volunteers, we provided customized care and enjoyable vacations at care hotel Domein Polderwind in Zuienkerke - open since April 2018!

Domain Polderwind has all the facilities for people with and without disabilities to unwind. The care hotel is located between Blankenberge and Bruges, next to a beautiful lake of 15 hectares. There is a pedalo, a network of wheelchair-accessible hiking trails, a petanque court and a beach to relax on. It's also great to relax in the wellness areas, while sports enthusiasts can indulge in the gym. Together with the wonderful volunteers, the care hotel offers the ideal cocktail for a wonderfully relaxing time.

Would you like to help yourself on such a Customized Vacation? Sign up here!

First aid became a hot topic more than ever in 2018 . And that makes sense: taking first aid training can mean the difference between life and death. That's also why the Red Cross has been providing first aid training for decades. If you take advanced training after your First Aid certification, you can go for the Helper certification. There is also the CPR and Defibrillation certification, which also teaches you how to use an AED device.

In 2018, 15,063 people obtained a first aid license, either by attending training at their local chapter or together with their colleagues. Many students are also trained through the schools. So you can feel a little more confident again: last year, a lot of potential life-savers were added! ;-)

Now you!?

On January 15, 2018, Antwerp was rocked by an explosion at the Paardenmarkt. The Medical Intervention Plan (MIP) was promulgated by the government. This means that Belgian Red Cross-Flanders acts as an emergency responder according to prescribed procedures. This is often the case in larger disasters.

Ambulances, the Rapid Intervention Teams (SIT) North and South and the provincial leadership left for the disaster site at the Horse Market and provided assistance at the scene.

After the highest emergency was met, the leadership remained on site with 2 ambulances and the intervention vehicle to help ensure the safety of the firefighters. In addition, more than 26 emergency workers gathered to provide assistance if needed. After more than 17 hours of help, this assistance could also be terminated.

AZ Sint-Maarten moved into its new hospital on Liersesteenweg in Mechelen during the week of Oct. 15, 2018. That move was divided into three moving days: Oct. 15, 17 and 18.

All patients were moved in an efficient and caring manner. For this move, the AZ called on the relief service of Belgian Red Cross-Flanders. Moving the patients started from the bed in the room in the old hospital and ended in the bed of the room in the new hospital. So the relief service was responsible for moving the beds, identifying, moving, following up and accompanying the patient!

Every day we could count on about 100 volunteers for this and we had the necessary vehicles such as ambulances and intervention vehicles. On October 18, we looked back with satisfaction on this logistical effort and smooth cooperation with the hospital staff! 💪

In 2018, we managed to reach about 24 million people through our social channels. This means that, on average, every Fleming came into contact with our organization about 3.5 times through our social media. Through our Facebook page, we got on the screen(s) of no less than 19,098,130 people in 2018."Occasional contributor" Ivo scored the most views during our annual sticker campaign.

On LinkedIn, we managed to touch the largest number of people with our call to become an online ambassador. In turn, two posts in which Eva Mouton turned our hot weather and festival first aid tips into fun illustrations were the most popular on Twitter. By the way, did you know that we ranked ^25th among the #BEHEALTH 2018 INFLUENCERS?

Finally, this was our best-scoring Instagram post! 🤗

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

Yes! High five to the 5,000 people following us here! . . . #rodekruis #followers #helps #rodekruisvolunteer

A post shared by Belgian Red Cross-Flanders (@rodekruisvlaanderen) on Dec 7, 2018 at 2:40 (PST)

Are you already following us on your favorite social medium?

Did you know that 1 in 3 people with Turkish, North or Central African roots do not find a matching stem cell donor? Only for 65% of these patients a donor is found in the global database. By comparison, for about 90% of patients with European roots a match is found in that same registry.

That's why we launched a campaign to look for as many stem cell donors with foreign roots as possible. Only when sickle cell anemia patients like Bernis or Dieudonné receive healthy stem cells will their lives be completely different. Samuel, with Belgian father and Ghanaian mother, has already registered as a stem cell donor!

... a 5-year-old child can already learn to call the emergency number? And that a child as young as 11 is able to react correctly in case of poisoning?

These are examples of insights gained by our Centre for Evidence-Based Practice (CEBaP) through large literature reviews, among other things. Through overview studies of existing research, CEBaP formulates guidelines for teaching first aid, provides advice for first aid for mental health problems or tests a program to improve hand hygiene in Tanzania, among other things.

The results of their work affect our entire organization and its operations, ensuring that we are able to provide efficient and effective help - in both the short and long term.

Here you will find an overview of CEBaP's literature reviews and posters. Here you can read more about the scientific activities of Belgian Red Cross-Flanders. And here you can read more about the scientific activities of Belgian Red Cross-Flanders.

Just a cursory glance at this website makes it clear: Belgian Red Cross-Flanders is active in many fields. From blood collections to International Cooperation, from social assistance to disaster relief: we help in many ways. In the first place, we call on as many volunteers as possible, who are always ready with enthusiasm and professionalism to do their part.

But in order to steer all this in even better directions and to provide the necessary framework - both logistically and in terms of content - we can also count on some 1,200 staff members. These include accountants, psychologists, communication officers, quality managers, clinical biologists, doctors, reception center supervisors and scientific researchers.

Do you also secretly dream of a career at Belgian Red Cross-Flanders? Then check out our vacancy page! Talented and caring colleagues are always welcome!

Since 2018, the former "Tracing" service has been going through life under the new name "Restoring Family Links. This name better covers the scope of our activities: in fact, in addition to tracing missing family members, we also restore contact between family members and provide information on the Belgian family reunification procedure to refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection.

We launched a brand new website: www.restoringfamilylinks.be. An interactive yes/no approach in 8 languages with audio support enables refugees or people with a residence permit to find information about family reunification faster and easier. VRT NWS made a nice report about this.

In total, we tracked down a total of 63 missing persons in 2018 and 335 family reunification files were opened.

In 2018, we were able to count on nearly 600 Bridge volunteers. They provide extra guidance to socially vulnerable children. These may be children whose parents or grandparents have died, or whose parents have recently divorced. But think also of foreign-speaking newcomers or children whose parents do not yet have full command of Dutch. Education can also be an important step towards a better future for these children. Our volunteers literally build the bridge between school and home.

Would you also like to help children feel at home again or more in their school environment? Then don't hesitate to read more about it and/or apply here!

On September 8, 2018, not coincidentally World First Aid Day, Youth Red Cross volunteers taught children how to correctly call emergency services. Red Cross Youth is the youth movement within Belgian Red Cross-Flanders for young people between the ages of 6 and 16 who can attend activities for free and without obligation. The emphasis is on learning first aid, interspersed with fun games.

Red Cross Youth together with our first aid experts, developed a teaching package to teach children between the ages of 6 and 10 how to call 112. Using games, songs and educational methods, they learn a lot about the emergency services. Especially the importance of clear, essential information is emphasized. Our volunteers from Red Cross Youth handed out 11,199 lesson cards on World Emergency Day.

Are you a teacher? Then you can download the pack for free. Parents can also use it online!

... may help reassure your little rascal, it is not the most effective way to treat a wound :-) With "A kiss on the wound?", our First Aid department has published a handy booklet for anyone who cares for young children from time to time. You don't have to be a great expert to be able to offer first aid in simple or more serious situations, but with this book you will certainly act correctly. You will find some basic operations and learn how to deal with common injuries or specific pathologies.

In addition, in 2018 we also published a mini-guide first aid. In the mini-guide you will find first aid tips for the most common accidents and illnesses in a leisure context. But you can also always find our first aid tips on our website. A blister? A faint? Or suffered a sunburn? Via this link, help is always close at hand!

library service for hospitals and care institutions pays attention to people who are in care facilities for shorter or longer periods of time. If their care context prevents them from going to the regular library, volunteers come by with a book, CD or DVD to provide relaxation.

A book, a visit

Moreover, those volunteers make time for a chat or a fun activity together with the patients or residents. This is how we try to combat loneliness. In 2018, we opened our ^400th lending point! And meanwhile, the counter already stands at 409 lending points all over Flanders. To keep those 409 lending points running optimally, we were fortunately able to count on 759 volunteers. They colored the day of 112,889 people who called on the library service for hospitals and care institutions in 2018.

Just turned 18 or several years past that age... Our blood donors are of all ages. But the "young blood" is certainly well represented: 42% of our donors are under 35 years old!

This is followed by the 36 to 49 year olds - who account for almost 26%, or more than 1 in 4. Finally, about 1 in 10 donors is over 60! By the way, did you know that the maximum age limit for blood donation was abolished in early 2019? Now you can donate even after the age of ⁷¹, if you meet some conditions! You can read all the info here.

Wondering who all these donors are? Check out #TheDay's mini-report in Everyone Famous on One 😊

This year we also collected blood from companies. No less than 146 times we went to draw blood from people in the workplace. Easy for every employee and good for our blood supply!

Would you like to invite us to your workplace to do a good deed together with your colleagues?
Then find all the info here!

Which usually tough colleague is afraid of needles? 😏

Belgian Red Cross-Flanders is a large organization with diverse activities. We divide our income into three major areas: Humanitarian Services (intervention, first aid training, social assistance, etc.), our shelters and the Blood Service.

Because our activities cover so many areas, it also always takes a little longer to complete our calculations. Every year we inform our donors, staff and volunteers of what we are doing with the funds we have acquired. These figures are always checked by external auditors. We therefore consider transparency and efficiency necessary: every euro is invested in the best possible way.

You can view our 2018 financials here!

Belgian Red Cross-Flanders collects blood, plasma and platelets. In 2018, our amazing donors provided exactly 381,111 successful donations - that's about 10,000 more than in 2017!

That impressive figure consists of...

• 250,933 successful blood donations
• 114,482 successful plasma donations
• 15,696 successful platelet donations

Thank you, donors!

Would you also like to donate blood, plasma or platelets?
Then find all the information HERE.

Always welcome!

Every year, young people arrive in our country from Syria, Afghanistan or Congo, for example, without parents or another adult family member. In 2018, our guardians took in 292 of these unaccompanied minors.

Such a guardian's task is to look after and protect the minor's interests. Six guardians worked at Belgian Red Cross-Flanders in 2018, each taking care of at least 25 unaccompanied youth.

New terminology

By the way, did you know that in March the asylum terminology was changed? Thus, we no longer speak of an "asylum seeker," but of an "applicant for international protection." The way to submit such an application for international protection was also changed.

Find out more about our guardians here!

International humanitarian law (IHL) is the body of rules that seeks to limit the humanitarian consequences of armed conflict. This law protects the life, health and dignity of persons who do not or no longer participate in an armed conflict. It also limits or prohibits the use of certain weapons and methods in armed conflict.

The Red Cross has a key position in the dissemination and development of the rules of international humanitarian law. We do this by disseminating up-to-date information through our website and by organizing various training courses, such as the International Humanitarian Law Lesson Series, for target groups for whom it is essential to know and respect the rules. Moreover, we engage in dialogue with the government on various topics in order to support the further development and application of international humanitarian law.

In 2018, 685 people attended training, including 673 professionals (journalists, lawyers, military and humanitarian actors) and 12 policy makers.

On behalf of the government, Belgian Red Cross-Flanders is responsible for a number of reception centers for asylum seekers. 

Due to an increase in the influx of candidate refugees, the federal government decided to postpone the planned closure of a number of emergency shelters until June 30, 2019. Also, two of our centers that were scheduled to close on September 30, 2018, have already remained open at least nine months longer than planned.

These are the shelter in Houthalen-Helchteren and the one in Sint-Niklaas (Westakkers). As a helper to the government, we are doing everything possible to get both centers up and running again as soon as possible so that new residents can be received there in the best possible way. The reception centers are operated according to the principle of bed, bath, bread and good social guidance, with extra attention for the most vulnerable. The center in Houthalen-Helchteren currently accommodates 600 refugees and the one in Westakkers 300.

Would you like to visit one of the centers? Or would you like to organize an activity for the residents? You can find all the info about our centers here ! 

Belgian Red Cross-Flanders was active internationally in 2018 in 17 countries in Africa, the Middle East, Central America and Asia. In total, our projects there had a positive impact, directly or indirectly, on the lives of an estimated 520,000 people.

Some specific figures:

• some 3,400 people attended training in first aid. The impact of this is even greater than in Flanders, because in these parts of the world the proximity of a hospital or even a doctor is not so obvious.
• nearly 47,000 people learned about the importance of hand washing, toilet hygiene and clean water through our hygiene promotion. This is how we dramatically reduce the risk of spreading cholera and diarrhea, for example!

• In countries such as Syria, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Haiti and South Sudan, we provided assistance to some 430,000 people in emergency situations due to conflict or natural disasters by providing basic necessities (e.g., food or hygiene kits), medical treatment or psychosocial counseling.

Whoever says Red Cross, says stickers. For 58 years, our volunteers have been selling stickers in high-traffic areas and at intersections. For one sticker you pay 5 euros, supporting your local Red Cross chapter.

So what happens to that money? This is used, for example, to purchase equipment to support the aid stations at local events. The cyclocross in Zichen-Zussen-Bolder or a benefit festival of the local youth movement: the right support is always provided. But also consider, for example, the assistance we provided at the attacks in Zaventem on March 22, 2016. There, too, we were only able to stand because everyone who ever bought a sticker contributed in the past. In 2018, our volunteers sold 645,000 stickers - narrowly missing the record number of 650,000 stickers in 2017.

Will you buy a sticker this year? From April 25, you'll see us all over Flanders again! But did you know that starting this year you can also buy a sticker online? You can do it right here!

... inseparable! Did you know that all of Belgian Red Cross-Flanders 's activities are scientifically based? We conduct both primary scientific research - that is, directly in the lab or in the field - and secondary scientific research, using existing scientific literature.

The primary scientific research of Belgian Red Cross-Flanders consists of both laboratory research on platelets and field research related to water projects: which water pumping model is best suited for the inhabitants of Kasungu, a region in Malawi? Our Centre for Evidence-Based Practice (CEBaP) conducts secondary scientific research, drawing on existing studies to formulate guidelines that optimize our assistance.

Together with Blood Service , the bright minds at Belgian Red Cross-Flanders published 11 scientific papers in 2018. The topics of these publications are very diverse: from the scientific substantiation of the selection criteria for blood, plasma or platelet donors to the development of first aid materials for African children to insights into the supply of blood after attacks such as the one in Zaventem. 

You can access CEBaP's annual review here. More explanation of our research on blood products can be found here. Would you like to learn more about our evidence-based approach? Then watch the video below.

Last year we delivered 644,980 safe blood products, both to hospitals in Flanders and Brussels and to plasma fractionator CSL Behring. That's about 6,000 more than last year!

We always guarantee maximum safety of our blood products. No matter how often someone donates, we test his or her blood, plasma or platelet concentrate just as thoroughly every time. Our Central Laboratory (CELA) tested all 381,111 donations for the presence of HIV, hepatitis B and C and syphilis, among others. Want to know more about the safety of our blood products? Then you can read more about it here!

Safety first 😉

Belgian Red Cross-Flanders is the largest volunteer organization in Belgium. Without our volunteers, Belgian Red Cross-Flanders could not play such an important role in the many fields in which it operates. Social assistance, mobile blood collections, helping vulnerable young people, disaster relief, ... you name it! Young and old dedicate themselves selflessly.

Did you know that 1 in 5 volunteers is between the ages of 20 and 29? 18% of our volunteers are between the ages of 60 and 70. So the young snobs can learn from the experienced ones... and vice versa! :-) By the way, did you know that most of these volunteers undergo regular training? So they can always help in a professional way!

Are you yourself interested in getting involved in helping others in your spare time? Then sign up here! On Volunteer Day, December 5, 2018, we made a video to thank all of our toppers for their enthusiasm and commitment.