Dedicated to Red Cross values

A mission to the Thai/Cambodian border in 1985 was the beginning of Jill Caughley’s almost 40 years of service to Red Cross. She recently received Honorary Life Membership, awarded to people who’ve given exceptional service and dedication to Red Cross. 

Every year we recognise the service of our people through national honours and awards. We're a team of thousands of members and volunteers as well as hundreds of employees across the motu – from Kaitaia to Invercargill.

Jill first thought about working in an international environment when she was studying nursing at Wellington Hospital in the late 1960s. Seeing the Nigerian Civil War — also known as the Biafran War — on television in 1968 exposed her to scenes of humanitarian devastation. “For me, it evoked an emotional response and a strong desire to do something practical and professional, even though I was a student nurse.”

Almost 20 years later, she went on her first assignment as a nurse delegate to the Thai/Cambodian border. She did two further assignments as a nurse delegate – back to the Thai/Cambodian border in 1986 and then to Peshawar, Pakistan in 1987. After working for National Office in Wellington for several years, she moved with her family to Rarotonga where she volunteered with Cook Islands Red Cross. Jill later worked with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Samoa, and Tonga.

In 2001 she earned a master's degree from Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington. Her dissertation focused on humanitarian, international nursing, and New Zealand recipients of the Florence Nightingale Medal.

From 2002 she spent 15 years in Geneva, where her husband Tim was posted as a New Zealand diplomat. While there, she stayed in touch with people she’d worked with on her international assignments. She remained connected to the international Red Cross Movement through her work as a health promotion nurse with the International Labour Organisation, as well as other work with the Florence Nightingale International Foundation and the International Council of Nurses.

When she and Tim returned to New Zealand for good in 2017, she reached out to the Waiheke Branch to volunteer. She’s been the branch president since 2020. 

“Those early experiences as a Red Cross nurse have had a profound impact on my professional and personal life and shaped my values, for which I am really grateful,” said Jill.

“Being a Red Cross volunteer now is just a small way of showing my deep appreciation for what I have the privilege of experiencing all those years ago, and to honour all the people I have worked with.”

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