Comic still Relief standing Never Annual Report and Accounts 2016/17 Contents “IT’S GREAT TO 1. Who we are and why we’re here 2 Highlights 4 SEE HOW COMIC Chief Executive’s Review 6 Chair’s Report 8 2. Our strategic report 10 RELIEF GRANTS How Comic Relief works 10 Our priorities and objectives 11 Our achievements and performance: ARE HELPING Red Nose Day 2017 12 Sport Relief 2018 14 Grant making 18 PEOPLE COPE Looking for opportunities internationally 37 Transforming the organisation 38 WITH INCREDIBLE 3. Principal risks and uncertainties 40 4. Looking ahead 48 HARDSHIP AND 5. Financial review 50 TURN THEIR LIVES 6. Structure, governance and management 56 7. Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities 58 AROUN D .” 8. Reference and administrative details 59 9. Independent auditor’s report 60 Liz Warner Chief Executive Comic Relief 10. Financial statements 62 1 Charity Projects (better known as Comic Relief) Who we are and why we’re here Annual Report & Accounts 2017 Who we are and why we’re here The serious business Always innovating. behind the fun Never standing still Over the years, together with our partners Successful as Comic Relief has been, and supporters, we’ve walked, run, sung, we can never stand still. We must never danced, swum, made jokes, films and be part of the establishment. Never stop videos, played sports and rock‘n’roll, run innovating. Nor can we rest while some rapids, worn silly hats and red socks, and of the world’s biggest problems continue any number of red noses. to damage and destroy people’s lives. Inspiration And thanks to people’s innate generosity, So we will continue to learn, to find the all this fun and frivolity has generated well best partners, use new platforms and new over a billion pounds to provide serious media, and create new and compelling help in areas as diverse as mental health ways of telling the stories of the people and malaria, domestic violence and we work with. dementia, HIV and homelessness, land We’re building new relationships with Perspiration rights and rights for disabled people. a new generation, and helping discover The humour starts the conversation, the better solutions for troubles that are entertainment interacts with the issues evolving all the time. and, as well as raising money, helps us raise To do these things effectively, we have awareness of some of the most important to constantly push ourselves, and be bold, problems facing the world today. Innovation fresh and creative – inspiring people to Comic Relief is helping ensure a better keep supporting us, not only by giving us future for children and young people, money, but by lending their voices to helping empower young women and girls, help make the positive changes that we contributing to the health and well-being want to see happen. of vulnerable and disadvantaged people, When Comic Relief was launched more than 30 years and to building stronger communities ago on Christmas Day 1985, it first came to you via in areas of poverty and deprivation, both in the UK and abroad. satellite from a refugee camp in Sudan. People were arriving there in their thousands, fleeing a famine that was devastating neighbouring Ethiopia. From the start we were clear about what we wanted to do: to help these and other people in desperate need by raising a laugh to raise money for funding projects that would have a real and lasting impact. Three years later, Red Nose Day was born, followed in 2002 by Sport Relief – getting people to get active and raise money to help us move closer towards one day achieving our vision of ‘a just world, free from poverty’. The two campaigns now run on alternate years. So in 2017, we had Red Nose Day, with Sport Relief coming back in March 2018. Our thanks to everyone who helps 2 3 Charity Projects (better known as Comic Relief) Who we are and why we’re here Annual Report & Accounts 2017 Highlights The best of another good year Core $40m strength The third Red Nose programme Day in the USA raised over $40m for Comic We launched our new ‘Core Relief Inc. and we Strength’ programme to held the first ever support small UK-based £82.1m Red Nose Day charities in delivering vital Our most digitally in China. work in communities driven Red Nose Day around the country. ever raised an incredible £82.1m. 374 new projects Community In total, we were able to fund 374 new projects in the UK Mental Health and around the world that Matters initiative are helping more and more people turn their Building on our experience of lives around. funding mental health projects in the UK, we launched our ‘Community Mental Health Matters’ initiative, making grants in Malawi, Sierra 1382 Leone, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. small grants And 1382 small grants were awarded on our behalf by UK Community Foundations (UKCF). 4 5 Charity Projects (better known as Comic Relief) Who we are and why we’re here Annual Report & Accounts 2017 Chief Executive’s Review Building, improving, evolving “Above all, we have an absolute duty to These are all significant achievements and reflections of a year that everyone involved with Comic Relief both those we raise money from, and those can rightly be proud of. The task we now face is to ensure that we are able we seek to help, to constantly improve, to build on all our success to date. We need to continue developing compelling content that inspires people to care about the issues we tackle, delivering really innovate and keep one step ahead of the exciting campaigns to raise the money we need, and making sure that our investment in life-changing changing world around us.” projects through our grants work has the biggest possible impact. The next chapter. Great projects, In April 2017, I was privileged to attend Above all, we have an absolute duty to both those A new generation great, great people ‘The Great Debate’ – an event we held we raise money from, and those we aim to help, to in London with the Bill & Melinda Gates constantly improve, reviewing how we work so that we When I arrived at the beginning of October Equally inspiring were the visits I made to Foundation and Debate Mate – where are as agile and effective as possible, innovating, and 2016, I knew that I was taking on a truly Comic Relief funded projects all around school children from around the country keeping one step ahead of the changing world around extraordinary challenge and one that came the UK and also in East Africa. It’s great to discussed some of the biggest issues us. It’s essential that we rise to these challenges. with a significant responsibility – that see how Comic Relief grants are helping facing their generation. Standing still can never be an option for Comic Relief. of leading a much loved British institution people cope with incredible hardship and A few weeks later I attended the So in the year ahead, we will drive this evolution into a new era. turn their lives around. Queen’s Young Leaders awards ceremony, forward – using technology, embracing mobile and The first thing I needed to do was to learn I was particularly proud to see how the which celebrates the amazing work of digital opportunities, finding new ways of giving, as much as I could about Comic Relief, money we raise in the UK is helping small inspiring young people from across the new platforms to engage people, and new tools to the people we work with and the projects mining communities in Uganda work in Commonwealth. Seeing the passion connect people with those who need help most. we fund. So I spent my first six months safer conditions, get better access to and commitment at both these events was Change on this scale can sometimes be a daunting speaking to hundreds of people, visiting training and education, and have a stronger a vital reminder of how important it is to process, but thanks to the amazing efforts of the whole projects we fund and watching the voice in their supply chain through the tap into the energy and talent of this and team at Comic Relief, along with the support from organisation deliver Red Nose Day 2017. Fairtrade Foundation. the next generation. our partners and the enduring generosity of the public, It was an inspiring process. It was also great to see how Comic Relief we are starting this next chapter in our development Watching Red Nose Day take shape from is working all year round to raise the from a position of strength and confidence. the inside was fascinating. It was great to profile of some really major issues. Our see the dedication of the team here – relationships with companies like GSK working hand in hand with our incredible are fantastic examples of how the charity colleagues at the BBC, as well as our and commercial sectors can come commercial partners at British Airways, together to help inspire a step change in Sainsbury’s, TK Maxx/TJX and many the fight against a major global problem others. 2017 was never going to be an easy – in this case, malaria. year to raise money, but the £82.1m the “I spent my first campaign generated is an astounding six months speaking total and a fantastic achievement. to hundreds of people, The more so, because this was our most visiting projects we pioneering and digital campaign ever – fund and watching the introducing a whole new series of online comedy sketches, testing new social organisation deliver media platforms and running a series of Liz Warner Red Nose Day 2017.