OSWESTRY Rotary Club members learned about the history and work of the Red Cross in a talk last week.

On Monday, June 3, Charles Lillis – patron of the Red Cross in Shropshire – visited the Oswestry Rotary Club to talk to its members about the Red Cross' work worldwide, more specifically in Shropshire.

He began with retelling how the crisis charity was formed because of the Battle of Solferino in Italy in 1859 – when Henry Dunant set up the International Committee of Relief for the Wounded which later became the Red Cross, as it is known today.

Members learned that only 30 per cent of money raised goes to disaster relief overseas, with the remaining 70 per cent distributed within the UK.

The money raised for the UK goes towards improving practical and emotional support, providing wheelchairs and mobility aids to help people leaving hospital, offering first aid training events and attending large-scale disasters such as the Grenfell Tower fire, which saw 630 volunteers support more than 1,700 people who had been affected.

There are in excess of 200 volunteers in Shropshire alone, based at both the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and also in Telford.

The Red Cross' presence is also seen in its many charity shops around the county which, through its donated clothing and other goods, help to raise more funds.

Volunteers are often the first port of call for refugees entering the UK, providing them with information they need to get settled and details on where to find a doctor.

'The Power of Kindness' is the charity's motto and this was highlighted by Charles through his informative talk.