Aviva partnership

Our partnership with Aviva

Aviva, a multinational savings and insurance company, and the British Red Cross work in partnership to build stronger, more resilient communities.

Together, we are starting a movement of action and preparation, rallying people all over the country to gain the knowledge, skills and support needed to keep everyone safe in a crisis.

Aviva has supported the British Red Cross since 2016, from helping in disaster relief to providing strategic assistance. Their expertise in risk, strategy and innovation is helping build resilience in the face of crises.

Strengthening community resilience in the UK

Community Reserve Volunteers (registrations paused)

Thanks to Aviva’s sponsorship, we launched our Community Reserve Volunteer programme in 2018.

Community reserve volunteers (CRVs) are part of a network of people across the UK who can quickly respond during a major emergency in their communities. When mobilised, they provide practical, behind-the-scenes support – making a difference when their community needs them most.

Over 80,000 new CRVs have signed up since the start of the coronavirus outbreak and Aviva expanded its support for the programme. Working with local food banks, CRVs have been helping to distribute food and welfare packs to vulnerable people who are self-isolating.

Due to this overwhelming public response, CRV registrations have now been paused. However, there are still many other volunteering roles available, and many different ways you can help.

You can find out more about Aviva’s generous donation to our coronavirus response here.

Coronavirus pandemic response

Thanks to an additional donation of £10 million from Aviva and the Aviva Foundation*, the British Red Cross has been able to accelerate our response to coronavirus. We’re reaching more people – and quickly – to ensure those made most vulnerable by the coronavirus outbreak can get the right support at the right time.

In partnership, we have created the Hardship Fund. This provides financial support to individuals who were financially at risk before the coronavirus outbreak and whose financial situation has deteriorated due to the crisis.

The funds are also being used to support the most vulnerable at home. In addition, Aviva’s support enables the British Red Cross to continue supporting people coming out of UK hospitals and afterward. This ensures that patients are safe and helps to ease the pressure on hospitals.

Outside of the UK, funds are being used to support the most urgent work that will have the biggest impact across the global Red Cross Movement. All of this will be done with the support of Aviva teams in these locations.

Mental wellbeing and resilience

The British Red Cross have a team of expert trainers who deliver mental wellbeing and resilience training course to all Aviva claims assessors, to better help their staff support people affected after an emergency.

Watch the video to find out more.

Wrapping for refugees

Each year, Aviva’s staff pack shoe boxes to be gifted to refugee across centres in the UK. In 2019 alone Aviva packed an impressive 1,700 shoe boxes.

Each one included essential items, such as soap and toothbrushes, and a special gift to be shared with refugees during December.

Digital volunteering

Since 2016, Aviva have been supporting our partnership through the Missing Maps project.

Together, we aim to make sure communities are better informed, better prepared, and more resilient when the next disaster strikes. 

Thanks to Aviva’s support, hundreds of its employees from 12 countries have volunteered to create maps in areas previously not mapped for humanitarian responders.