Red Nose Day fundraising decline continues

Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day telethon event has raised £42.8m, down £9m on last year’s on the night tally of £52m.

The telethon’s peak total was in 2015 when it raised £78m and in 2019 it raised £63.5m on the night.

Red Nose Day., which was first staged in 1988, was previously run every two years alternating with the charity’s other flagship fundraising event Sport Relief.

Last year Red Nose Day became an annual event, with Sport Relief run all year round.

This year’s event was broadcast on the BBC and was presented by among others Comic Relief co-founder Sir Lenny Henry and Alesha Dixon.

Comic Relief has now raised £1.5bn since it launched.

“Doing Red Nose Day right now, when times are truly difficult, makes me think – this is exactly why we set it up. Comic Relief has been built on the urgent need to help people in crisis and right now donations are needed more than ever,” said Henry.

“Seeing families, friends, kids, teachers and colleagues come together to help raise this incredible amount of money is remarkable. To still donate despite the challenging time we are in, shows the kindness of our country.”

£42,790,147. Wow wow wow.

What a truly incredible figure. Thank you SO much to everyone who has supported this #RedNoseDay. Your donations will help us to change lives in the UK and around the world. pic.twitter.com/mElf6qgKYA
— Comic Relief (@comicrelief) March 19, 2022

Comic Relief chief executive Samir Patel added: “I’m incredibly proud to see such generosity from the British public this Red Nose Day.

“The past six weeks have seen so many people come together across the entire country to help change lives – from schools, to people buying Noses and T-shirts, too all our brilliant fundraisers, and of course the people watching the show tonight.

“We want to say a huge heart felt thank you to every single person who has helped raise such a phenomenal amount of money. All donations will help us fund vital mental health and domestic abuse work, tackle homelessness and poverty head on, and support organisations working in Ukraine."