Red Cross identified needs for help to support its reform
The Red Cross is reforming to respond more effectively to the growing needs of help of people in Finland. A study, Changing needs of aid, was conducted as a basis of this reform. It highlights the impact of social changes on the need for aid.
The ‘Changing needs for aid study’ brings together key societal challenges that are adding to and complicating people's need for aid in different life situations. The study was carried out by the Diaconia University of Applied Sciences, commissioned by the Red Cross. Its aim is to provide up-to-date information that will help the organisation develop its activities to be even more targeted and effective.
The study lists the changing factors affecting the Red Cross. These include increasing poverty and the financial difficulties of the welfare society, climate change as well as a changing social climate and a growing sense of insecurity.
The importance of local help, communities and face-to-face encounters will increase as social and healthcare services are increasingly moved online. Online services are not accessible to all and increase the number of people experiencing loneliness by reducing face-to-face interaction with other people.
Local help makes a big difference
According to the report, people who need help include impoverished people whose numbers are rising; immigrants; and older people, especially those living in sparsely populated areas.
The rise in poverty is already visible in the food aid provided by the Red Cross, for example. The number of people on low incomes will increase, in part due to the cuts to social security decided on between 2024 and 2025. In the future, access to many public services will also become more difficult, and the availability of help for mental health problems, for example, will be reduced.
Local help and community spirit are of great importance, especially in sparsely populated areas. These areas are home to many elderly people, many of whom crave contact with each other. Among them, demand for social and health services is high, but at the same time services are constantly being cut back. In addition to everyday encounters, community is an important safeguard in times of crises, as people who know each other find it easier to offer help.
Find out more about the ‘Changing needs for aid’ report here.
Working towards a Red Cross that is constantly evolving and quick to help
We are constantly gathering information on the needs for aid and target our actions accordingly. The aim is to be able to change our operations quickly in the future, depending on where help is needed.
As part of the this process, we are also reviewing internal views on reform needs. Red Cross volunteers, members and staff will all have the opportunity to share their ideas on how our organisation should evolve. The Red Cross General Assembly of summer 2026 will make the final decision regarding the content of the reform.
Despite the reform, the core mission of the Red Cross—to help those who need help—remains the same. The reform does not mean that we are abandoning all familiar methods of helping, but we are complementing them with new methods.
You can find out more about the Red Cross reform on the Red Cross Volunteer Info website.