The charity is looking to recruit reserves who can help out in times of crisis

A charity has launched a recruitment drive in order to respond quickly and effectively in times of crisis.

The British Red Cross in Scotland wants to form a practical taskforce of people able to carry out jobs such as filling sandbags and sorting food for others.

It has embarked on a campaign to recruit community reserve volunteers who will be able to respond to emergencies such as flooding, heavy snow or storms.

Simon Lewis, head of crisis response for the Red Cross, said: “We’ve seen through the sad events of this year, including the Manchester Arena and London Bridge attacks and the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the extraordinary levels of compassion shown by ordinary people from local communities when a crisis hits.

“It shows you don’t need special skills to help others. Small acts of kindness, and coming together as a team, can make a huge difference.

“This project is a way of harnessing the good will and kindness of the public for future emergencies, by signing people up in advance.”

Lewis added that volunteers would only be called upon in times of major local crisis – and would be notified by text message.

Modelled on similar initiatives run by the Dutch and Austrian Red Cross, the project aims to recruit several hundred volunteers in Scotland and 10,000 people across the UK by November 2019.

More details on applying are available online.