National Red Cross Awards 2022 - all about the people

World Red Cross Day Award Ceremony at Victorian Government House, 12 May 2022.

I was honoured recently to stand beside many great Red Cross people - staff and volunteers - receiving Red Cross National Awards. No one does any of this for medals, of course. The reward we all seek is working with people we trust, forming strong bonds, learning skills, and knowing our work makes a difference.

My late great Aunt Maeve O‘Collins, a role model for me and many others, was known to say, “It’s not about the recognition, it’s about the work”. In other words, it’s not about you, jolly well get on with doing your job. No one appreciates a lit ego.?

Tough love, indeed, but gave me cause to think more deeply when the awards came our way. Here’s are a few thoughts on what recognition means for me:

1/ Taking one for the team - Medals may be for the individuals who stepped up, but in reality it is for the work of many - our team members who worked with us, or teams we led, our partners, parents and children at home. Our whole organisation, or our partner orgs, our HR ?and IT teams, the cleaners. Each person receiving an award represents a myriad of human kindness.

For each and every person and their plus one guest, their award represents hard work and sacrifice to benefit of others in times of need. The sacrifices are real – health, family stress, financial. My mum walked by my side on the day, and I loved that she got to see her daughter being seen to do something of value. However, I’ve hardly seen her in the past few years. I’ve found it hard to keep the balance. She’s never complained that I hardly visited through those long years. (Thanks Mum. I'm glad you could be there with me to see this.)

2/ Here for a long time, not just a good time: Everyone awarded that day had worked over the long haul, trained, practiced, paced themselves, and had been able to perform in the moment. In the work at Red Cross, it is slow, steady long term work – even when it is intense. And boy, can it be intense. ?

In my case, the Distinguished Staff Award was recognition for "distinguished service to Red Cross and exceptional leadership over a period of at least six years". For me it was designing the Vic ES Our People Strategy, which delivered on the capability and capacity to meet the personnel needed for the 2019-20 bushfires, COVID. In a strange twist of fate, last year this work supported me and my own community when we were struck by the 2021 severe weather event.

I am passionate about making our emergency services better places to work and volunteer - the award was also recognition for holding the fort with business continuity and care for our people over that time. As back-house work that kept the front line going, it took several years to see to fruition.

3/ Recognition helps you get over yourself – it’s good for mental health and progression

When I walked with my mother into Government House, I could not foresee the feeling of relief I would feel when we walked back out into the sunshiny garden of Government House a few hours later. I was, put simply, a different person. The finality that the commencement of the work, the events of the response over the past few years, the rapid scaling pre-events and the gritty years of ploughing through that particular set of concurrent emergencies were now packaged into a red velvet box, tied with a red ribbon and handed to me as a medal to relegate to the past. Ta ta, bye bye, finito. Thank you to the person who nominated me through to those who made the event happen. It is a gift you have given. Wonderfully symbolic and freeing.

4/ Worth it to be together again

Look at us all - big nervous and happy smiles, standing together after years apart working remotely and keeping on going to help others. This day, and the events that resulted in this recognition, will stay with each of us. As for everyone at other ceremonies and rituals, Red Cross or not.

My mum commented that it was a chance for us all to get dressed up – and it was. This crew usually wear ordinary, sometimes grubby clothes. There are dusty boxes to pack, vans to drive. I reckon we scrubbed up well. (Not just those in the pic above, but the 50 or so recipients on the day).

On World Red Cross Day we received our awards humbly, and it's fabulous that our team - staff and volunteers alike - received the recognition they truly deserved. So no, we didn’t do it for the recognition, we did it for the work, and the recognition was for all the people who helped us serve others.

Now it’s time for what’s next. I hear you, Aunty Maeve, the moment is over and I’m getting back to work! Thank you all, a great team effort!