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Charity Projects (better known as Comic Relief)Annual Report & Accounts 2018The big picture: our 2017/18 in overviewGETTINGON BOARD,TO BEATTHE BULLIESChair’s ReportFUTURE-READY,AND FOCUSEDON SOCIALIMPACTI’m writing this at a timewhen unprecedented changeand political uncertainty iscausing anxiety around thecountry – not least forcharities like Comic Relief,which depend on thegenerosity of individualdonors and corporatepartners. (And also, ofcourse, for many of theindividuals and organisationsthat rely on us for urgentlyneeded funding.)You can read in our Chief Executive’sreview about the transformation ourorganisation is undergoing, as ComicRelief becomes a creative agency forsocial change. But another hugelysignificant change concerns how wemake best use of our supporters’ money.Like everyone else, we can’t predict withany accuracy where the road we’re onwill take us. But I’m pleased we canreport that in 2017/18 we took importantsteps to make Comic Relief future-ready(whatever the future holds), and tocontinue to increase the positive socialimpact we achieve.So, towards the end of 2017/18, weintroduced a new social impact strategy,firmly based on four focused areas. Thisenables us to tackle issues where we havealready helped to make great stridesand achieved significant successes, as wellas addressing new issues where webelieve we can influence change. The fourareas are: supporting children to surviveand thrive; fighting for gender justice;providing everyone with a safe place to be;and improving people’s mental health.Funding with greaterfocusBecause Comic Relief is not a single-issuecharity, it’s crucial to set ourselvesclear guidelines for investing our donors’money as effectively as possible. Weunderstand that we can’t bring about realimpact if our focus is too broad.10Bullies were making Zarah’s life a misery, but thena team from Projekts Skatepark visited her school inManchester, and things started to turn around.Funded by Comic Relief, Projekts uses skateboardingto engage with girls, and tackle gender stereotyping– helping them develop physical confidence, whichcan help them in every area of their lives.“I was shy and let people walk all over me,” saysZarah, “but since I started skating I feel more able tohandle things. My favourite thing is ramps. When Ifirst went down one, I was so scared – but to knowI could do it felt really amazing. Since then I’mbraver and more confident. Now if I get picked onI tell them to stop or tell a teacher.“When I started doing tricks I felt like I could be whoI really am. Before I felt trapped but at Projekts I canbe myself.”Focus area: Gender justiceHalf the money we raise supports ourwork in the UK, and half supports our workinternationally – and we’ll be applyingthese four social impact funding themesuniversally, bringing greater clarity andcoherence to our change-making.Despite some challenges, 2017/18 was apositive and progressive year for ComicRelief, and we ended it in better shapethan ever to face an uncertain future.Needless to say, we’re extremely gratefulfor all the help and support that we’vereceived, from individual donors andfund-raisers, corporate sponsors and ournumerous partners. Thank you, everyone,including our outstanding group ofTrustees and staff team.Tim DavieChairComic Relief“Since I startedskating I feelmore able tohandle things.”Zarah, 11, Manchester11

Charity Projects (better known as Comic Relief)Annual Report & Accounts 2018In close-up: our strategic reportOur strategic reportOur priorities and objectivesHOW WE RAISED IT,HOW WE SPENT IT, ANDWHAT WE’VE DONE TOFUTURE-PROOF OURLIFE-CHANGING WORKIn this section of our report,we take a closer look at whatComic Relief achieved in2017/18, focusing on how weperformed in relation to ournew strategic priorities, andalso explaining how, towardsthe end of the year, we wereable to apply our new morefocused social changestrategy. But first, a brief lookat how Comic Relief works.How Comic Relief worksIn determining our social change strategies and the generaladministration of the charity, the Trustees pay due regardto the guidance of the Charity Commission, particularly inrelation to public benefit. Comic Relief seeks to spend itsmoney effectively and professionally.The money we raise is typically allocated over a two-yearperiod through a series of funding rounds. Awards to partnerslast for between one and five years.Comic Relief has rigorous systems to make sure it is fundingprojects that will make a significant difference in the UK and insome of the world’s poorest communities.While Comic Relief is working to allocate money, the fundsare held in carefully chosen investments, in line with ourinvestment policy on page 34. The return on these investmentsgoes towards paying the costs of Comic Relief’s fundraisingcampaigns and other running costs.12LAST YEAR, WE REARTICULATEDHOW WE SEEK TO ACHIEVE OURCHARITABLE PURPOSE – OURENCAPSULATION OF WHAT WEARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE AS ANORGANISATION – AS BEING TO‘ENTERTAIN, ENGAGE, ANDACCELERATE CHANGE’.And to help us pursue this goal, we set ourselves three strategic priorities’, which are to:1.Nurture, develop and futureproof our existing brands –by making the most of our campaigns,increasing engagement and emotionalconnections with Comic Relief.2.Diversify to bring in newsources of revenue,brand value and impact –by exploring new product offeringsand ways to reach new audiencesin order to increase our impact outsideof our yearly campaigns.3.Continue to make ComicRelief an effective creativeagency for social change –by aligning the organisation behinda new social change strategy, with achanged staff structure and new waysof working, to ensure Comic Reliefis fit-for-purpose in a changing world.The following pages set out highlights in relation to our key brands, Sport Relief and Red Nose Day, and provide details of our newsocial change strategy. Our work to make Comic Relief an effective creative agency for social change is ongoing, the transformationprocess described in the Chief Executive’s Review has been central to this.13

Charity Projects (better known as Comic Relief)Annual Report & Accounts 2018In close-up: our strategic reportOur achievements and performanceSPORT RELIEF 2018:SNOW DIDN’T STOP PLAY“I got the fright of my life, but I’ma massive fan of the brilliant workdone by Sport Relief, so it wasworth it.”Sir Andy MurrayEvery two years, since 2002, Sport Relief has inspired, cajoled and entertained the GreatBritish Public into getting active, and having a lot of fun raising money to help people in need,at home and around the world. The latest edition was hugely enjoyable, with a great nightof Sport Relief TV, some incredible sporting challenges, and a total of nearly 43 million raised.Zoe’s big bike rideOne of the biggest highlights was BBC television and Radio 2 presenterZoe Ball taking on the challenge of cycling over 350 miles from Blackpoolto Brighton, to raise vital funds for Comic Relief projects.She was driven on by a powerful desire to do something positive, toraise awareness of mental health, following the death of her boyfriendBilly Yates, a cameraman, who took his own life in May 2017.By day five of what Zoe called her “crazy challenge”, she’d raised morethan 500,000, and the donations kept pouring in, eventually totallingover 1.3m.Gregathlon: pedalling to the peaksAnother gruelling challenge was taken on by BBC television and Radio 1Breakfast host Greg James – who set out to climb the three highestmountains in Wales, England and Scotland and cycle the distancesbetween them.Despite arctic conditions, Greg conquered his first two summits, MountSnowdon and Scafell Pike. But as the weather worsened, he was forced toabandon the third leg of his incredible challenge.Undaunted, Greg came back three weeks later, and finished the job,climbing Ben Nevis, and raising just over 1.1m as well as vital awarenessof mental health – an area of work supported by Sport Relief.“It’s all about not giving up,” said Greg, from the top of Ben Nevis. “Thismoney is going to do so much good to so many people who think theymight give up.”14A Knight’s worstnightmare?Probably the most memorable TVhighlight of Sport Relief 2018 was tennishero Sir Andy Murray getting the shockof his life, when he was rudely awakenedby Michael McIntyre – and a gaggle ofcelebrities – for a special edition of theMidnight Gameshow. Rubbing the sleepfrom his eyes, Sir Andy faced a seriesof questions, each correct answer raising 5,000 for Sport Relief.Fundraisers andcorporate partnersAs ever, Sport Relief would not havebeen possible without the support ofour fundraisers, trust foundations andcorporate partners, including; Sainsbury’s,British Airways, BT, GSK, TK Maxx,Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, DFID,Jersey Overseas Aid, England Rugby,Premier League, NFL, Sport England,Albert Bartlett and Voltarol.Sainsbury’s colleagues and customersgot active and raised money by sellingthe must-have merchandise, includingthe official Sport Relief T-shirt. Throughits ‘Flying Start’ partnership, BritishAirways raised funds with customers onboard, as well as from staff fundraisingevents. While long term supporters BTsponsored Zoe Ball’s Hardest Road HomeChallenge, with colleagues stepping anddonating in support.Up and down the country nurseries,schools and universities fundraised inall types of fun and active ways, fromsponsored miles and skip-a-thons,to classic school discos and utilising theSport Relief App to contribute to thenation’s billion steps challenge.And of course, a massive heartfelt thankyou to the millions of individuals whodonated and supported us on the nightof Sport Relief TV and throughoutthe campaign, making a real and lastingdifference.15Other Sport Reliefhighlights, in brief Football legends Chris Kamara, AlexScott and David Ginola hit the dancefloor in Strictly Come Dancing fromWembley Arena. The BBC went up against ITV in acelebrity boat race, with James Cracknellgiving the BBC an unfair advantage. Frank Skinner, Ed Balls, Paddy McGuinnessand Denise Lewis joined the regularsin a Question of Sport Relief, while starsincluding Kylie Minogue, Snow Patroland Meghan Trainor performed live onthe night. John Bishop tried to help GarethSouthgate and the England playersahead of the summer’s World Cup, withcomical consequences.

Charity Projects (better known as Comic Relief)Annual Report & Accounts 2018In close-up: our strategic reportOTHER RED NOSE DAY2019 HIGHLIGHTS.Our achievements and performanceREDNOSEDAY2019One Red Nose Dayand a WeddingWe were delighted to see the reunitedcast of Four Weddings and a Funeralfor the first time in 25 years, in a short filmspecially written for the occasion byRichard Curtis.Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, KristinScott Thomas, John Hannah andRowan Atkinson were joined by somevery special guest stars in the newinstalment, helmed by original directorMike Newell, which picks up 25 yearsafter the 1994 film.Original writer Richard Curtis commented,“It’s been really enjoyable working outwhat’s happened to all the characters– and now they get back together, onelast time, for the fifth wedding. Where, asusual, not everything will go as planned.”Since the first ever Red Nose Day in1988, this comic extravaganza hasbecome a national institution. It’s theday when people all over the country– inspired by a fantastic night ofcomedy and entertainment on theBBC – come together and do allkinds of weird, wacky and wonderfulthings to raise money for thefantastic causes funded by ComicRelief, at home and overseas.Our first ever ComicRelief SpectacularAs a curtain-raiser for Red Nose Day anda key pillar in diversifying our activitiesand reaching new audiences, comedyheavyweights Alan Carr, Catherine Tate,Lenny Henry, Katherine Ryan, RomeshRanganathan, John Bishop, Russell Howard,Jimmy Carr, Kerry Godliman, Nina Contiand Rob Beckett, as well as rising starsJudi Love and Rosie Jones all joined forcesfor our first ever Spectacular event atThe SSE Arena, Wembley on 28 February2019. One night, one stage, nine giantsof comedy live. How could it possibly getmore spectacular than that?Red Nose Day returned on15 March 2019.16Kilimanjaro: The ReturnTen years after Gary Barlow led a group ofcelebrities in an epic climb up Mount Kilimanjaro,another hand-picked team took on the same19,000 foot challenge.The group – whose climb was filmed for a specialBBC documentary – included Pointless hostAlexander Armstrong, Countryfile host Anita Rani,BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker, Love Islandwinner Dani Dyer, former MP Ed Balls, Little Mix’sJade Thirlwall and Leigh-Anne Pinnock, NFL sportspundit Osi Umenyiora and Strictly Come DancingHead Judge Shirley Ballas.Starting their challenge in February, the intrepidteam faced a grueling eight-day trek battlingaltitude sickness, basic camping conditions andfreezing night-time temperatures – all to raisemoney for Red Nose Day.Comic Relief didThe Apprentice.Lord Sugar, Baroness Brady and Claude Littner madea return to the boardroom alongside a group ofcelebrities vying to avoid the firing line in a specialCelebrity Apprentice for Comic Relief.and Claudia and Tess dancedtill they droppedYes, the Comic Relief Danceathon came back! Thistime, following in the footsteps of Sara Cox andDermot O’Leary, the celebrity dancers were BBCRadio 2 presenter Claudia Winkleman and herStrictly Come Dancing co-presenter Tess Daly. Theyflossed, dabbed and jived to the beat for our longestever Danceathon to raise as much as possible forRed Nose Day.17

Charity Projects (better known as Comic Relief)Annual Report & Accounts 2018In close-up: our strategic reportOur achievements and performanceRED NOSE DAY USA.AND ELSEWHEREIn the USA, Red Nose Day returned forthe fourth time in May 2018, with threehours of primetime programming on NBC,including the Red Nose Day Special,with Chris Hardwick as host; a celebrityedition of American Ninja Warrior for RedNose Day, and Red Nose Day HollywoodGame Night, hosted by Jane Lynch.US Red Nose Day raised 46.9m forComic Relief Inc. bringing the runningtotal of funds raised to nearly 150min its first four years in the USA. Plans arenow underway to make the 2019 USevent bigger than ever.“She enjoys to comehere. she is safehere. She can learnto play with others,and develop.”In addition to Red Nose Day USA, ComicRelief-licensed events are establishedin Belgium, China and Finland. Inspired bythe Red Nose Day model, local partnersorganise their own events with supportfrom Comic Relief, raising money andawareness to help achieve our vision ofa just world, free from poverty. In 2017/18,events took place under licence inFinland raising 2.5m.Yonela, mother of four-year-oldAwande, Cape Town, South AfricaBECAUSEEVERY CHILDSHOULD HAVEA SAFE PLACETO PLAY ANDLEARN.Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading(VPUU) is a brilliant organisation, working to improvelives in some of the most deprived and dangerousareas around Cape Town. Supported by Comic Relief,VPUU opened a toy library and playground veryclose to the home of four-year-old Awande*, wholoves playing with the sensory toys, especially themini-kitchen.Her mother Yonela is happy that her confident, chattylittle girl is not just having fun, but receiving supportthat will help her have a much brighter and saferfuture: “Awande is my first child, and she doesn’t goto nursery because we don’t have money. Whenshe is here, she doesn’t want to go home again – sheis safe here. She can learn to play with others, learnto develop. I want her to do computers.”*Not her real nameFocus area: Safe place to be1819

Charity Projects (better known as Comic Relief)Annual Report & Accounts 2018In close-up: our strategic reportOur achievements and performanceOur four ‘focus areas’For maximum social impact, at home inthe UK and overseas, we are now focusingour funding upporting children tosurvive and thrive:Millions of children all over the worldstruggle to survive and thrive becausethey aren’t getting their basic needs met.When children can’t reach their potential,this has devastating consequences fortheir lives, for their whole communitiesand for future generations. Comic Reliefis working with partners to ensure thatevery child has the best start in life bysupporting families and communities tomeet all young children’s needs.Fighting forgender justice:Providing a safeplace to be:Throughout the world, women and girlsface discrimination, inequality, violenceand exploitation on a daily basis – purelybecause of their gender. Comic Relief isworking with partners to empowerwomen and girls and fight for an end toviolence and discrimination based ongender or sexuality.Millions of people around the world don’thave a safe place to live, having beenforced from their homes due to conflict,natural disasters, poverty or personaland family circumstances. Comic Reliefis working to ensure that everyone inthe UK, and some of the world’s poorestpeople, can access a secure home, ina safe environment, where they can livewith dignity.Improving mental health:Mental ill health affects one in tenpeople at any given time, yet the majorityof the world’s population can’t accessspecialist mental health support, and manysuffer in silence. Comic Relief is workingwith partners to ensure that people withmental health problems have access toappropriate help and can live free from thestigma and discrimination they now face.We believe making sustainable, systematic changes in any of the four areas involvesa combination of actions: supporting people to take action on issues that affect them;improving access to quality services and support, building the evidence of what works;strengthening organisations and networks; changing attitudes, norms and behaviours andshaping systems and policies. Through our funding we aim to support a range oforganisations that work in these ways.We also support organisations to use Sport for Change and Social Tech approaches whichcut across our four focus areas.In 2017/18, we gave 39 million to awide range of fantastic projects andorganisations, working to transformpeople’s lives, in the UK andinternationally. Towards the end ofthe year, we introduced our newsocial change strategy, which webelieve will allow us to use ourdonors’ money more effectively thanever, by focusing on four huge socialchallenges of the age we live in.Sport for ChangeSocial TechWe believe sport and physical activity hasthe power to bring about positive socialchange for individuals and communities.We believe digital technology has thepower to accelerate positive socialchange by helping people, organisationsand communities do a better job.Comic Relief has been funding Sport forChange projects since 2002, and we havefunded almost 400 projects in the UKand internationally using Sport for Change,to the sum of over 55m.Our Sport for Change work is focusedon three areas: using sport to bring aboutpositive social change across ComicRelief’s four key issue areas; growing theSport for Change space by advocatingfor the power of sport, supporting fundedorganisations to demonstrate theirimpact, and working with organisationswho are new to using sport in theirapproach; working with strategic partnersto develop and deliver Sport forChange programmes.20Comic Relief has continued to investin Social Tech, remaining a sector leader.We offer one of the only grant fundingopportunities for not-for-profits whichdoesn’t require them to be at a specificstage in their digital journey.A tighter focusgeographically, tooOn the same principle – that tighter focusdelivers greater impact – we now awardthe majority of our funding across just 14countries globally, as well as in the UK.21

Charity Projects (better known as Comic Relief)Annual Report & Accounts 2018In close-up: our strategic reportOur achievements and performanceWho has been helped byComic Relief Funding this year?HOW WE SPENT ITIN 2017/1814,691,898PEOPLEWe invested 39 million of funding into tackling poverty and socialinjustice last year. This is lower than in previous years as we tooka short pause while we completed our review and launched our newsocial change strategy.In total, Comic Relief funding in 2017/18made a difference to ne

comic relief from the very beginning. having a laugh and being active has been at the heart of everything we do. i can vouch for the fact that the money raised does incredible things and makes a massive difference to people’s lives.” sir lenny henry, comic relief honorary life president in total,