Hong Kong Red Cross

Hong Kong Red Cross
香港紅十字會
Founded12 July 1950; 74 years ago (1950-07-12)
TypeAid agency, Non-profit organisation
FocusProtect human life
Care for the health of the vulnerable
Respect human dignity[1]
Location
OriginsCreated as a branch of the British Red Cross Society[3]
Area served
Hong Kong, Mainland China,[4] the whole world[5]
ServicesHumanitarian Aid
Members
365 unifourm units with 22,580 members[6]
Key people
Mr George Joseph Ho (President)
Mr Philip Tsai (Chairperson)
Dr Lau Chor Chiu (Deputy Chairperson)
Ms Wendy W M Tsang (Deputy Chairperson)[7]
Revenue
HK$588.17 million (Total recurrent income in 2012/13)[8]
EndowmentPublic and private donations
Volunteers
22,580[9]
Websitewww.redcross.org.hk (English and Traditional Chinese)
Hong Kong Red Cross
Head office in West Kowloon
Traditional Chinese香港紅十字會
Simplified Chinese香港红十字会
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinXiānggǎng Hóngshízìhuì
Wade–GilesHsiang-kang Hung-shih-tzu-hui
Yale RomanizationSyang1gang3 Hung2shr2dz4hwei4
IPA[ɕjáŋkàŋ xʊ̌ŋʂɻ̩̌tsɹ̩̂xwêɪ]
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpinghoeng1 gong2 hung4 sap6 zi6 wui6*2

The Hong Kong Red Cross (HKRC, Chinese: 香港紅十字會) is the national[10][11] Red Cross society of Hong Kong[11] as part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Its head office is in West Kowloon.

It was established officially on 12 July 1950 as a branch of the British Red Cross Society in Hong Kong. Since 1 July 1997, upon the transfer of Hong Kong's sovereignty to the People's Republic of China, the Hong Kong Red Cross has changed its affiliation to become a special branch of the Red Cross Society of China, but remains autonomous from it. Unlike other Red Cross and Red Crescent societies worldwide, which are notable for their humanitarian effort, Hong Kong Red Cross is better known for blood transfusion in Hong Kong. This may be due to a few disasters threatening and political turmoils in the territory, also its long history of service from 1952. The blood transfusion service runs under the Hospital Authority.[12]

In lack of need in relief services in the territory, the society runs a range of humanitarian services to care for the underprivileged, such as schooling for children in hospitals, organising voluntary services in the ageing communities, organising uniform groups for youths and adults, and conducting first aid courses. In the case of disasters in neighbouring regions, the society raises funding and sends relief forces. In occasional floods in eastern China, earthquakes in China, Indian Ocean tsunami, the staff and volunteers from the Hong Kong Red Cross attended. In the early height of incoming Vietnamese refugees, the society also set up services for them in the 2000.

  1. ^ "Mission & Core Values". Hong Kong Red Cross. 5 July 2011. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  2. ^ "Service Directory – Hong Kong Red Cross Headquarters". Hong Kong Red Cross. 9 September 2009. Archived from the original on 10 August 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
  3. ^ "Brief History of the Hong Kong Red Cross". Hong Kong Red Cross. 8 December 2008. Archived from the original on 14 November 2008.
  4. ^ "Introduction of China Projects". Hong Kong Red Cross. 5 July 2011.
  5. ^ "Introduction of International Projects". Hong Kong Red Cross. 5 July 2011. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  6. ^ "Volunteering" (PDF). Hong Kong Red Cross. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  7. ^ "Patron & Office Bearers of the Hong Kong Red Cross". Hong Kong Red Cross. 8 December 2008.
  8. ^ "Financial & Fund Raising Reports of Annual Report (2012/13)" (PDF). Hong Kong Red Cross. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  9. ^ "Volunteering" (PDF). Hong Kong Red Cross. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  10. ^ "Directory of National Society web sites". The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. 9 September 2009.
  11. ^ a b "National Red Cross/Red Crescent Society Websites". Hong Kong Red Cross. 9 September 2009.
  12. ^ "History and Background". Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2014.