The British Red Cross established a two day video-centric exhibition at Battersea Power Station showcasing stories of people facing hardship who have been given hope by the organisation.
The exhibit called Hope Street took place from 22-23 October and aimed to highlight the support the charity provides to global communities.
Research commissioned by the British Red Cross this year revealed over half of Britain is feeling positive about their futures and it is thanks to ‘acts of kindness, scientific advances, and witnessing community support’.
An employee of the Red Cross, who wishes to remain anonymous, 42, said: “There is a lot happening in the world that feels quite hard and heavy at the moment.
“Not only does the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement help in moments of crisis and emergencies, but they also do so much long term.
“They work alongside communities and people to support creating hope for their future so that people can rebuild their lives.”
In one video, Gina, head nurse at Red Cross’ Silele Clinic in Eswatini, shared the impact of the Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross.
She said: “Working in my community, I see resilience and hope every single day. Our clinic is in one of the most rural regions of Eswatini. If people cannot come to us, we come to them.”
British Red Cross ambassador and Love Island star, Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, said: “I’m really looking forward to people seeing Hope Street.
“It brings powerful stories of hope and humanity to life.”
She cited her first-hand experience of devastation in Turkey and Syria, making note of the hope that united a community of people, with help of Red Crescent teams.
“It’s so inspiring to see how Red Crescent teams are still supporting people nearly three years on,” she said.
Another employee of the Red Cross, who wishes to remain anonymous, 32, said: “We have countries like Syria and Ukraine, it’s really showing powerful personal stories of people who have gone through crisis.
“It really just brings those stories to life.”
The aim of Hope Street is to inspire young adults and people to maintain hope not only for the world, but on an individual level as well.
Based on the research conducted by the Red Cross, young millennials are ‘the most hopeful generation’ with over 75% expressing these sentiments.
The Red Cross employee, 32, said: “I think it is really important to tell these stories.
“The world does feel hard right now, but there is a lot of hope.
“We see it everyday with our staff, volunteers, and the communities of people with whom we work alongside.”
Featured image credit: Madigan Gallagher
