Society

Red Cross providing basic assistance in Palma centre this Christmas

Palma. Cruz Roja volunteers. | T. Ayuga

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma18/12/2015 00:00

The Cruz Roja (Red Cross) will be running its campaign "City Volunteers" from 21 December to 5 January. In co-ordination with security and emergency services, this campaign for the centre of Palma is in its fourth year. Its aims are to offer preventative, informative and care support to the local population and to emergency services as well as to provide assistance to, for example, people with reduced mobility or children who are lost.

Four teams of volunteers with first-aid and social assistance training will be deployed on the streets of Palma, both on foot and on bike. Services they will provide, in addition to first aid and assisting those with mobility needs, will include helping out in resolving minor incidents, working with ambulance services, advising the local police on any issue within their competence and assessing initial calls to the 112 and 061 emergency lines.

The teams will operate from 11am to 1.30pm and from 4.30pm to 8pm.

They will also be helping with the town hall's health department in programming nativity scene routes. The purpose of this is to promote physical activity among older people, and the routes - which will take place on 21, 22, 23 and 28 December - will involve a three-kilometre walk around the city centre to take in various nativity scenes. It is a route that takes into account levels of dependence and mobility, with those who find it difficult to walk being able to use wheelchairs or support vehicles.