Tuesday 27 February 2024
It's been almost 80 years since the International Red Cross SS Vega first visited Guernsey in December 1944 to deliver essential aid to islanders during the Occupation. To celebrate the long-standing relationship between Guernsey and the Red Cross, a free event featuring talks, displays, and presentations is being held at Les Cotils on the evening of Tuesday 5 March.
This event, which is being hosted by the Overseas Aid & Development Commission (OA&DC), features:
An informative presentation on the SS Vega and other Red Cross support during the Occupation by Paul Le Pelley, Vice-President of the Channel Islands' Occupation Society
- A display of artefacts relating to the SS Vega
- A Fairtrade Tea and Coffee Break
- A thought-provoking talk from British Red Cross representatives
The Red Cross talk will be led by Rachel Polnay, Director of Partnerships and Philanthropy, and Anaish Yilma-Parmar, Head of Legacies, and will focus on the current work of the British Red Cross, which has included support from the Guernsey OA&DC.
Mr Le Pelley said:
"For approximately 9 months - from the fall of St Malo in mid-August 1944 to the liberation of the Channel Islands on 9 May 1945 - the islands, which were nowhere near self-sufficient in producing foodstuffs or medical supplies, faced increasing deprivations. This desperate situation was overcome by the arrival of aid from the International Red Cross in the shape of the SS Vega. This particular ship made several visits to the islands between the 27 December, 1944 and June 1945, bringing much needed food and medical supplies to the islands. But the International Red Cross did much more than just bring Red Cross parcels to the islands in the last few months of the war as many other services beneficial to Channel Islanders were carried out by the International Red Cross. My presentation will briefly lay out all that the International Red Cross did for Channel Islanders during WW2".
Deputy Chris Blin, President of the OA&DC, said:
"The history of the support provided by the Red Cross to Guernsey is fascinating and Paul's presentation will help to bring this to life. Obviously, the work of the Red Cross across the globe continues. The Commission has been proud to support British Red Cross projects for a number of years and, in recent times alone, has provided Disaster and Emergency Relief Awards to alleviate the effects of extreme monsoon floods in Pakistan, a volcanic eruption tsunami in Tonga, and the East Africa Food Crisis in Somalia. The Commission is therefore very pleased to host this event and welcome a senior British Red Cross delegation to the Island.
For me, it will be just as important to gain an insight into the current work of this well-respected organisation and understand how we can help. I am therefore looking forward to welcoming all those who take a similar interest".
The event will be held on Tuesday 5 March 2024 at Les Cotils Centre from 7.00pm. Tickets are available from: https://bit.ly/OADC-redcross.
