COMIC RELIEF

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by CBBC

What is Comic Relief?
Comic Relief is about having fun
and
making the world a better place.

The organisation raises money and then
uses it to help end poverty and unfairness.

It works in the UK and also in the poorest countries
in the world. Here's what it does:

Gets money in:
Raises money from the public in the UK
by getting them involved in fun special events.

Shares money out:
Does a lot of research to find out
which charities to support and then carefully decides
how best to spend the money the public donated.

Educates people:
Explains the causes of poverty in Africa and problems
faced by groups and communities in the UK.
Also lets people in the UK know how
they can change things for the better.


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Red Nose Day
A clown style red nose is the symbol of Red Nose Day.
It's a massive fundraising event held by
Comic Relief every two years.

When is the next one?
The next one will be Friday 11 March 2005
and people all over the UK can take part.

What happened last time?
Red Nose Day 2003 raised over £61 million.

 
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How did it start?
Comic Relief was set up in 1985.

It was started by comedians who wanted to use comedy and
laughter to let people know about poverty in the UK and in Africa.

It was launched in 1985, from a refugee camp in Sudan.
The launch was broadcast live on Christmas Day on BBC 1.

Since then over £337 million has been raised for some of the
poorest and most vulnerable people across the UK and Africa.

 

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Where does the cash go?
Sixty percent of Red Nose Day money is spent in Africa
and forty percent here in the UK.

A group of 20 experts carefully work out
which projects should receive money.

Since Comic Relief started 20 years ago they have
raised over £337 million and made over 7,000 grants.
Over £169 million has gone to projects working
with poor and disadvantaged people in Africa.
In the UK, over £99 million has been given to projects
working vulnerable and disadvantaged groups and communities.

Examples of projects:

UK :
Bullying is a big problem for young people and
can lead to huge amounts of distress and anxiety.
The Merseyside Anti-Bullying Steering Group provides
a telephone helpline and support for
young people affected by bullying.

Africa:
During the years of conflict in Sierra Leone,
many young boys and girls were forced to join armies
and were traumatised by their experiences.
Comic Relief is helping to reunite some of them
with their families and to give some, especially girls,
an opportunity to go school and learn a trade.


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How can I get involved?
There are loads of ways of taking part:
1.
Most schools in the UK get involved in Red Nose Day.
This means you can normally help by organising
a fundraising event at your school.
2.
If your school is not taking part you can organise
your own event to raise money.
These are some ideas from Comic Relief.
Bake some Comic Relief cookies and sell them to friends and
family Gunge one of your friends, family or neighbours.
3.
Stay in and watch the special programmes on Red Nose Day.
You can learn stuff, have a laugh, then make a donation.

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