91Èȱ¬

We’ve never been further apart, yet somehow never closer. That’s why, for one night only, Comic Relief, 91Èȱ¬ Children in Need and 91Èȱ¬ One joined together for a special night of entertainment, like no other. We celebrated the people who are making a difference and helped support those affected during these extraordinary times.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of the British public and partners, The Big Night In has so far raised £70 million, which includes Government match funding for every pound donated. The first £20 million funding has been awarded to the National Emergencies Trust, while a further £4 million funding has been awarded to NHS Charities Together; with the remaining £46 million split equally between 91Èȱ¬ Children in Need and Comic Relief. All funds will help vulnerable people of all ages through the crisis in the coming weeks and months, including those affected by issues such as hunger, domestic violence and abuse, homelessness and isolation.

Clean Bandit Symphony Choir – a huge ‘thank you’!

Comic Relief and hitmakers Clean Bandit have joined forces to say thank you to all those who supported ‘The Big Night In’, helping vulnerable people of all ages and backgrounds across the UK during the Coronavirus crisis.

The new recording of Clean Bandit’s UK number 1 and global hit ‘Symphony’ includes vocals performed virtually by community choirs from across the UK who are supported by Comic Relief alongside some very special guest performers. These choirs use the power of music to help tackle isolation and loneliness by bringing people together, which is more important than ever during these challenging times.

We hope you enjoy it.

Find out how your money is helping

In just under a month, 91Èȱ¬ Children in Need and Comic Relief have awarded £12,932,150 of funding from their joint appeal to 20 charities, projects and programmes across the UK who are providing essential help to those most in need during the COVID-19 crisis. This is in addition to £20 million allocated to the National Emergencies Trust and £4 million to NHS Charities Together.

The funding is the first round of allocations from the money raised by The Big Night In appeal, which brought 91Èȱ¬ Children in Need and Comic Relief together for the first time for a special 91Èȱ¬ show to raise vital funding in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Projects that have been awarded funding in the first allocation include:

Women’s Aid Federations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has been awarded funding of £2 million from the appeal to support people experiencing domestic violence and abuse. It follows findings by domestic violence charity Refuge, who received 49% more calls to their helpline over a 21-day period in the lockdown. The funds will be used by the Women’s Aid Federations to scale and adapt their services as well as supporting their wider member organisations, so they can reach more women and children experiencing domestic abuse who are at greater risk during this time. This includes supporting vital helplines and web chats so people can safely reach out for help; services for children and young people experiencing domestic abuse; and supporting staff with personal protective equipment

The British Red Cross has been awarded £650,000 from the appeal to support communities and people worst hit by the coronavirus crisis. By mobilising their network of volunteers, the British Red Cross will provide help to the most vulnerable people, including, families and people in poverty, older people who are more likely to be isolated or lonely and refugees and asylum seekers who are extremely vulnerable at this time. Funds will also be used for the British Red Cross national support Line, which is available for anyone to call throughout this emergency to seek support

Age UK has been awarded £650,000 to support local Age UK branches to provide critical practical and emotional support to isolated older people across the UK, helping them provide deliveries of food and medicines, as well as additional befriending support for the people living in their communities. Funds will also support Age UK’s national advice helpline and telephone friendship services

In light of recent statistics showing BAME communities to be disproportionately affected by COVID-19, Comic Relief is directing funding specifically for BAME community projects. This includes targeted funding through Rosa Women’s Fund and Refugee Action, plus an extra £650,000 which is set to be distributed by a BAME led partner organisation (more details to be announced shortly)

91Èȱ¬ Children in Need’s crisis fund, Emergency Essentials, has been allocated an additional £2 million to help families who need immediate support. The Emergency Essentials programme provides small grants to families facing a crisis at home. The programme can provide items that meet children’s most basic needs, such as a bed to sleep in, a cooker to give them a hot meal, clothing and other items and services that are critical to children’s wellbeing

A grant of £82,150 to Stormbreak will fund a pilot initiative in response to COVID-19, taking Stormbreak’s established and evidence based mental health programme - currently operating in primary schools in the South West of England - onto a digital platform to be available online, UK wide, on demand. The online platform will deliver activities known as ‘stormbreaks’ designed to support specific aspects of children’s mental health, each activity will be curated in a creative way to ensure they are fun and enjoyable for both children and their carers’.