Since Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day began, it has raised a staggering £337 million pounds, which has been used to fund over 7000 projects in Africa and the UK. Here in the North East, people are involved in fundraising and heightening awareness for the appeal. Projects in the area also benefit from the charity.  | | Hats off to Comic Relief! |
Auf Wiedersehen Pet stars, Jimmy Nail and Kevin Whately, became real-life builders when they went to Sierra Leone to assist with the Comic Relief funded project, Mapco. The project melts down weapons and turns them into tools that are used to harvest the land. For both actors, the experience in Sierra Leone brought home what Red Nose Day is all about. Jimmy said: “It was a real eye-opener for me, being in at the sharp end, seeing where the money raised on Red Nose Day actually goes.” Back at home Another place where Red Nose Day money goes is closer to home. Alarmingly, every 20 seconds a woman in the UK experiences domestic abuse in her own home. Panah is a Black women’s refuge and outreach service in Newcastle that receives funding from Comic Relief. As well as providing a safe refuge for women who decide to leave their abusive partners, Panah runs support groups for women who are still living at home.
It is one of a number of projects that deals with domestic abuse which the charity supports.
This year, Comic Relief is putting the emphasis on letting people know what happens to the money they have donated, stressing the message that every penny counts.
Red Nose Day takes place on Friday 11 March 2005. | 
