Three priorities stand out in the district's operational planning

Dear branch leaders,

The Finnish Red Cross's new strategic period for 2027–2029 has already begun with a spirit of shared planning and renewal. The organisation's Board has confirmed four priorities that will guide the entire organisation:

• targeting activities based on humanitarian needs,
• strengthening preparedness as part of all activities,
• improving volunteer recruitment, onboarding and leadership, and
• visible humanitarian advocacy.

These priorities help ensure that our activities respond even better to people's needs, strengthen community resilience and increase the impact of the Red Cross at all levels.

Three priorities for the district

Building on these organisation-wide priorities, the Board of the Helsinki and Uusimaa District has highlighted three key perspectives for implementing the strategy:

• strengthening preparedness across all activities,
• reaching people with immigrant backgrounds and others in vulnerable situations and increasing their participation,
• growing the number of volunteers and making it easier to get involved.

The long-term population growth in Uusimaa, and particularly in the Helsinki metropolitan area, sets our region apart from the rest of the country. This brings many positive developments, but also increasing humanitarian needs.

Throughout the autumn, branch boards, autumn meetings and the district are working together to turn these goals into practical action. I encourage every branch to assess local needs, strengthen volunteer onboarding and orientation, and make use of the Finnish Red Cross's extensive expertise and support materials in developing local activities.

Oma as a gateway to volunteering

Did you know that every year 2,000 people of different ages sign up for our activities through Oma Red Cross in Uusimaa alone?

Among those 2,000 people are a wide range of skills, experiences and perspectives, along with enormous potential to reach even more people interested in volunteering.

By improving how new volunteers are welcomed and introduced to activities, we significantly strengthen the Finnish Red Cross's capacity both in everyday situations and in times of disruption. The more volunteers we have, the more people we can help.

Kind regards,