AT THE battle of Solferino in 1859, thousands of troops clashed as the French and Piedmontese drove the Austrians out of northern Italy. After the short and bloody battle, more than 40,000 men lay dead or wounded.

Henry Dunant, a visiting businessman from Geneva, was so appalled by the carnage that he mobilised the local population to help tend the wounded. As a mark of identification the volunteers used a red cross on a white background - a reversal of the Swiss flag - and so The Red Cross was born.

In the 144 years since this first act of mercy the Red Cross has become a symbol of hope and humanity for millions of people worldwide, appearing wherever a disaster or conflict threatens lives.

The British Red Cross, founded in 1870, has a branch in every county, manned by more than 81,000 members and volunteers. With the approach of Red Cross Week May 4-11, Will Saunders went to find out more about the organisation.

GINNY Lister has been President of the Gloucestershire Branch of the British Red Cross for the last ten years.

"To me it is very important that the Red Cross will help anybody," she said. "I feel extremely honoured to be part of an organisation like this."

Working mainly from her home in Selsley, Ginny is responsible for 3,000 volunteers who work in the county.

"My main job and my first priority is to support the volunteers," she said. "We couldn't exist without them. "I try to know as much as I can about all of them. These people give up so much of their time. Some of them give up entire weekends. Their help is vital."

Although Ginny's job is purely voluntary she spends the major part of her working day making phone calls, organising fund-raising events and generally making sure the various different Red Cross services are running smoothly. It is, she says, a 24-hour job.

"There are directives coming in from our head office in London all the time, and meetings that can take place anywhere from Cornwall to Worcestershire as well as constant correspondence. "My job as President has grown tremendously since I started. The Red Cross has to be prepared for any emergency.

This includes providing transportation for the elderly or disabled, therapeutic care for those suffering or recovering from illnesses and even providing medical cover at local events.

From motorcross and horse trials to larger events such as the Kemble Air Show, the Red Cross is on hand to provide medical assistance. Ginny recalled one occasion where The Battle of Tewkesbury, an annual re-enactment of a 15th century clash, got a bit out of hand.

"On one particular day there were more than 100 injuries. There was a big line of people wearing suits of armour waiting to be treated. I think they got a little over-enthusiastic," she said.

Thankfully, bandaging wayward sword thrusts does not feature heavily in the duties of the Red Cross. A more usual service, and one that Ginny is particularly proud of, is the medical loans programme. Under the scheme, anyone can who urgently needs some medical equipment can ring the local Red Cross branch and get what they need quickly.

"We are one of the largest suppliers of medical equipment outside the NHS." Ginny said.. "If someone fell over tomorrow, broke their leg and needed a wheelchair after leaving hospital, they could call the Red Cross and we could get you a wheelchair to them pretty much straight away."

There is no doubting the impact that services like medical loans can have on local peoples lives. Ginny has several letters of thanks from patients who had benefited from the BRC medical equipment.

Sometimes the impact the Red Cross has can be more far-reaching. The organisation runs a message and tracing service helping refugees to get in contact with relatives they thought were lost for ever.

Although this service is run from the National HQ, the increased number of refugees coming to Britain in recent times has meant that the Gloucestershire branches are frequently being asked to help. Ginny cited one heart-warming example.

"Three years ago a man from Bishop's Cleeve got in touch with the Red Cross to try and find his family," she said. "As a sixteen-year-old he had left his home country of Lithuania during the Second World War and had lost all contact with them."

The Red Cross immediately got in touch with its sister organisation in Lithuania and with various governments, hunting down information.

"Within three weeks we found out what had happened to his parents and discovered that two of his sisters were alive and he had a whole lot of nephews and nieces that he did not know about.

"He had absolutely no idea what had happened to his family. He did not even know he had sisters. "We arranged for he and his wife to go out to Lithuania for a very emotional reunion after fifty years."

Given the sheer effort that goes into providing these services and keeping them running, it is perhaps not surprising that the BRC is constantly struggling to raise funds.

The British Red Cross spends more than £226 million a year. Specially organised events like The Westonbirt Autumn Fair in October and this summer's Open Gardens programme help to raise money but the bulk of funds are made through donations and street collecting.

Recently volunteer street collectors have been scarce - a major problem for a charity in constant need of more cash "We are desperately in need of street collectors," said Ginny.

"Especially in large towns like Nailsworth and Cirencester. It's frustrating because the volunteers dry up and you just can't replace them.

"The money is needed to keep the services going and to maintain the quality We need things like medical equipment, ambulances and defibrillators which alone cost £3,000 each. We need six or seven of them.

Anyone who would like to volunteer to help the British Red Cross with fund-raising especially during Red Cross Week or would like to donate money should get in touch with the Red Cross at branch headquarters Cainscross on 01453 762288.

One of the many letters Ginny has received from people grateful for the medical loans programme reads:

"Dear Organisers and volunteers of the Red Cross, This letter is to show my appreciation for the use of wheelchair no A157.

"In July of this year I unfortunately broke my leg after falling off of my bicycle. This made the prospect of summer without mobility pretty grim, as I was non weight bearing for a six week period.

"I telephoned the Red Cross immediately when I was discharged from hospital and was given a wheelchair that same morning after donating a small amount of money.

"The wheelchair has been a lifesaver, as I have been able to get out and about with my willing husband pushing me. Thank you all for having this facility available, it certainly improved my life for the last ten weeks."