RED CROSS ACTIVITIES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 31, 7 December 1943, Page 8

RED CROSS ACTIVITIES

VOLUNTARY AID TRAINING

The Voluntary Aid Training Room, which was so well and generously equipped by the; people of A\ hakatane, has now been closed to the V.A.D. as the shop I hey occupied has' been let. Every effort has been made, to obtain suitable premises but to no avail, so a special effort is being made in the Red Cross Shop between now and the end of December to raise funds lor the purpose of procuring a suitable room.

It may not be generally known that sixty fully qualified Voluntary A'idds have, been trained here„ one has been accepted for overseas service, and live are working regularly at the Whakatane Hospital., Staff difficulties have made their assistance greatly appreciated by the Hospital Board, which is behind the Voluntary Aids in this effort. The hospital in this district is likely to have more work in the future instead of less, and the need for the V.A.s is likely to remain for some time. I;n addition the work will go on after the war. As Miss Tennant, formerly Commander-in-Chief of the Red Cross Voluntary Aids, pointed out trained Voluntary Aids may be required by the community at any time, and they should be there when needed. It is not perhaps realised that there were more deaths in the influenza epidemic in New Zealand after the Great War,, than among the whole N.Z.E.F. during four years of lighting, and that a large number died solely through the lack of trained personnel.

11l .spite of butter and sugar rationing, anil the usual pre-Xmas rush for housewives, the ladies of Whakatane are putting up a grand show, and it 'is hoped that the rest ol' the community will support them in this worthy cause.