Red Cross / EU Office

Estonian Red Cross

Address:

Eha Street 8
10137 - Talinn
Tel: +372-6411643
Fax: +372-6411641
Email: haide.laanemets@redcross.ee
Website: www.redcross.ee

Legal Basis:
Mission:

Working ahead  - Strategy 2020

Constituency:

HQ and network of 16 local branches

Organisation/planning:

The main focus is capacity strengthening of Society to fill the auxiliary role to government.  The Estonian RC has ability to meet the needs of the most vulnerable. Priority programmes are first aid, disaster management, work with children. HQ supports branches with salaries and concrete programmes as at the same time branches has good cooperation with their local authorities.

Leadership:

The Estonian RC’s structures have undergone significant changes.
  • Secretary General: management and coordination.
  • The Executive Board has eight members and meets every month for decision-making and monitoring.
  • Estonian RC President – elected by GA
  • The society holds its General Assembly every four years and council meetings twice a year.
  • Branch secretaries meet 3 to 4 times a year.
Paid staff:

39 employees

Volunteers:

ca 500 active volunteers. Volunteer activity is mainly related to youth work, social work, The society is trying to make the concept of voluntarism better understood. Human recourse policies are still to be developed.

Members:

4342 members

Domestic Activities
Response units volunteers are in training process on refugees issues as auxiliary to Ministery of Socials Affairs and Ministery of Interior.
The Estonian RC carries out blood-donor promotion activities, including proposing active blood
donors for state awards. There is some cooperation with government blood departments. The Estonian RC gives a pin to every first-time, every 25, 50 and 75 time  non-remunerated blood-donor and provide informative materials.
Dissemination activities at the branch level are being strengthened. Special courses of basic IHL are provided for different audience (medical, pedagogical staff,…). The society continues to develop its relationship with media. Now the EHL will be included to the curricula of gymnasiums.
Promoting healthy life-style among youth and adults. Lot of prevention activities for children, teenagers.  The supplementary food and hygienic-supplies  to people affected by finance crisis.
Since  2001 Estonian  RC has established the programmed activities for volunteers. The idea is to provide the Estonian rescue board, Ministry of Social Affairs with trained units able to assist in sheltering, search-and-rescue operations, FA and psychological support.
Assistance including distribution of free meals is provided to unemployed persons, children. In some local branches the home visits to disabled persons are provided.
As a RC mandate the tracing service carries on its activities. 
Activities include youth camps, day-camps for children from vulnerable families, FA instruction, dissemination, peer education on HIV/AIDS, drug prevention in schools. A human trafficking prevention programme for youth. A great deal of work is done in schools and in kindergartens. 

Countries of Operation:
2002: help to civil population suffering the armed conflict
2001: drought, food relief
1996- Chechnya for civil population suffering the armed conflict
1997- Ivangorod (Russia) food relief for kindergartens and orphanages
1999- Pskov county (Russia) medicines for kindergartens and orphanages
2000- Chechnya, refugee camp

Membership in RCRC networks:
Country Information

Red Cross/EU Office