‘Oh, where have all the branches gone?’: Making the History of the British Red Cross in Northern Ireland

The ‘Our Stories – Our Times’ project, the largest undertaking of oral history by the British Red Cross to date, took place in Northern Ireland from 2022 to 2024. Participants told the story of the Red Cross in their own words; from the Second World War to the present day. Testimonies and documents, many previously unresearched, highlighted the role of the organisation through the Troubles and its complex relationship with the Red Cross across this island and in the United Kingdom. In this talk, historian Sam Guthrie, who managed the ‘Our Stories – Our Times’ project, will further develop its findings to present a history of the Red Cross in Northern Ireland and to highlight lessons learnt in its development and delivery.