Red Nose Day is Celebrating a Big Birthday

Red Nose Day is back on Friday 21 March in the UK.  And this is incredibly the charity Comic Relief's 40th birthday. They've been encouraging people to don a clown's red nose and "do something funny for money" since 1985. 

The charity was founded by comedian Lenny Henry and romcom scriptwriter and director Richard Curtis in response to the 1983-85 famine in Ethiopia which also inspired Live Aid. Since 1988, the charity's main annual event has been Red Nose Day. It is an occasion for many people across the country, and especially schools, to have a laugh while raising some serious money, whether simply buying and wearing a red nose to school or work or taking part in more complex comic activities. A few years ago, young people raised concerns with Comic Relief, the Red Nose Day charity, about all the plastic waste generated by the red noses sold for the event. So Comic Relief found a way to make the noses from plant-based materials that are biodegradable.

RND has raised £1.6 billion and helped 100 million people over the years, both in the UK and in developing countries.

This short video is a great introduction to Red Nose Day you could use with pupils from A2. It's narrated by two young brothers, who explain the day itself and the problems the charity is trying to address, as well as giving examples of some of the young people who have been helped by projects funded by Comic-Relief-funded projects. Zanecty, 13, lives in Kenya and has a disability, cerebral palsy. With RND funding she has been able to receive physiotherapy that has allowed her to go to school and participate fully in her community. Kaitlyn, from the UK, became homeless at 18. A charity has helped her find accommodation and now she volunteers to help other vulnerable young people. Chandu, 13, lives in India and had never been able to access education until a Comic-Relief-funded project gave him help.

You can read more about these and other projects, such as foodbanks and multibanks in the UK, kinship carers, who look after family members who aren't their children, and a young woman who works to help protect homes from flooding caused by climate change in Kenya.

Comic Relief has always worked with grassroots organisations in the UK and overseas, relying on their local knowledge of their communities' needs, rather than arriving and trying to impose solutions.  This year, for older pupils, one of the activities proposed is a debate on the motion, "This house believes that international aid is most effective when delivered through local communities."

In the run up to Red Nose Day, teams from 150 schools competed in debates. The final, between Cardinal Heenan High School from Liverpool and Sacred Heart School from London, was held at 10 Downing Street, where the pupils were welcomed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. They debated on the motion, “This House believes that youth leadership is the best way to tackle the world’s most pressing issues.”

 

 

Up for a Challenge

Each year, celebrities take on challenges to raise money and awareness for Red Nose Day. This year, racing driver Billy Monger competed in the gruelling Ironman triathlon race in Hawaii. Monger had to have both legs amputated after a racing accident in Formula 4 when he was just 17. But he returned to racing with prostheses, and currently competes in F3. He set a new record for a double amputee for the Ironman race after swimming 3.86 km, cycling 180 km and then running a marathon in one day.

In 2021, Billy already raised  £3.2 million for Comic Relief by walking, kayaking, and cycling 225 km across England. He's hoping to raise even more this year.

On 21 March, a TV special on the BBC will see comedians and celebrities join in the fun, and show stories of the people who have been helped with funding.

Longtime supporter, actress Joanna Lumley, launched this year's RND campaign with a sketch with comedian Amelia Dimoldenberg.