Comic Relief - Say Pants To Poverty!
Comic Relief was launched from a refugee camp in Sudan in 1985 on Noel Edmunds' Late, Late Breakfast Show on BBC 1, on Christmas Day, in response to the famine in Ethiopia. As well as doing something about that very real and direct emergency, the charity was determined to help tackle broader needs of poor and disadvantaged people in Africa and the UK.
Beginning with a few live events, drawing support from across the comedy community until the first Red Nose Day, in 1988, which instituted the unique union of comedy and charity on national television. This first big night of television was presented by Lenny Henry, Griff Rhys Jones and Jonathan Ross, and raised more than £15 million.
Since then, Comic Relief has produced six more even bigger Red Nose Days and raised more than £174 million.
Over the years, Comic Relief cash in Africa has educated people about HIV and AIDS, taught women to read, immunised children and helped people rebuild their communities after conflict. Across the UK it has helped disabled people challenge prejudice and discrimination, supported older people in their fight to get their rights recognised and provided escape routes for women living with domestic violence.
Its success over the past 15 years has been a tribute to the enduring generosity of the general public and to the unflinching, heroic support of many hundreds of comedians and others across the media and corporate worlds. Here's looking forward to Red Nose Day 2001.
Get your Comic Relief pack by sending a self addressed stamped envelope with three second class stamps to:
Comic Relief Fundraising Pack
PO Box 32762
London
SE1 7FF
Find out more by checking out the Red Nose Day Website.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is a worldwide campaigning movement that works to promote all the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards. In particular, Amnesty International campaigns to free all prisoners of conscience; ensure fair and prompt trials for political prisoners; abolish the death penalty, torture and other cruel treatment of prisoners; end political killings and "disappearances"; and oppose human rights abuses by opposition groups.
Two comedians, U Pa Pa Lay and U Lu Zaw have each been sentenced to seven years' imprisonment. They were arrested with six members of a dance troupe which performed at an Independence Day ceremony on 4 January 1996 in the compound of Daw Aung SanSuu Kyi, the leader of Myanmar's main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD). The members of the dance troupe were later released. Two of the troupe's managers U Myint Thein and U Aung Soe have also received seven year prison sentences for their peaceful political activities.
The four were charged under an act which penalizes anyone who "causes or intends to disrupt the morality or the behaviour of a group of people or the general public, or todisrupt the security orthe reconstruction of stability of the Union...". U Pa Pa Lay had been arrested previously in 1991and had served a two year prison prison sentence for making a political joke against the military authorities and in favour of the NLD.
The four were sentenced after an unfair trial in Mandalay Prison. Torture and ill treatment are common in Myanmar's prisons and conditions fall far short of international standards.
Please write, asking for the immediate and unconditional release of U PaPa Lay, U Lu Zaw, UMyint Thein and U Aung Soe, and seeking assurances that they will betreated in accordance with international standards while in detention, to:
Senior General Than Shwe
Chairman, State Lawand Order Restoration Council
c/o Ministry of Defence
Signal Pagoda Road
Yangon
Union ofMyanmar
See the Amnesty Site for further details.
The Variety Club
Variety Club of Great Britain is a membership organisation formed by people from the world of entertainment and business, who volunteer their time, talent and skills to help children who are sick, disabled and disadvantaged.
The charity in this country was founded in 1949, and in the past 50 years has raised more than £160 million for children.
The Club in this country is part of Variety Club International, founded in 1927 by American showbusiness professionals who took on the care of an abandoned baby. They became dedicated to raising money to care for the little girl, and for other children who came forward needing their help.
From their first event, held in a circus tent, sprung an international charity with a network of clubs stretching from Canada to New Zealand. Here in Britain. The Variety Club is famous for its Gold Heart campaign, Sunshine Coaches, hospital projects and innovative fundraising throughout the year.
The Variety Club of Great Britain is still very much a showbusiness charity - the annual showbusiness awards honour artists of stage, screen and radio; and many celebrities lend their much-valued support to Variety Club events.
These people in public life help with their work because they know Variety Club has a heart for children.
2001 sees the eleventh anniversary of the Gold Heart Day Campaign - Variety Club's most successful and best-known fundraising appeal.
Since being founded in 1991, Variety Club Gold Hearts have raised over £23 million for needy children in the UK.
Variety Club is appealing to the public to make this anniversary appeal the most successful ever, by buying and wearing a gold heart, priced at £1 each or three for £2.
This year's Gold Heart campaign offers a choice of exclusive hearts, from the past five years. Gold Hearts are on sale across the country in many outlets including Barclays, Birthdays, Dorothy Perkins, Mothercare, Tesco, Tie Rack and WH Smith.
Please, give £1 and help a child have a better quality of life.
This will help raise much needed funds for sick, disabled and disadvantaged children.
The Hackney Empire Appeal
In the 1860s three large theatres were built in Hackney: The North London Coliseum, The Theatre Royal, in Glenarm Road, and The Alexandra, in Stoke Newington Road. Then in March 1901 the great theatre architect Frank Matcham commenced building The Hackney Empire and the venue opened on December 9th that same year, seating 2,158. It was and remains a state of the art theatre, one of Britain's finest examples of proscenium arch theatre.
In February 1988 Alistair Fullerton, a puppeteer with Spitting Image, and Clive Manning, a teacher, both with theatre experience, started the Friends of the Hackney Empire whose aim was to fund raise for the renovation of the theatre. Over the years many thousands of pounds have been raised that have been used to fund the essential repairs that have kept the theatre operating.
Money has been raised by holding regular raffles, selling merchandise such as mugs and T-shirts and regular tours and open days bring in yet more revenue and create a wider appreciation of Frank Matcham's masterpiece.
Most of the great stars of Music Hall and variety played the Empire, including; Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel, Lily Langtree, Marie Lloyd, Little Titch, and numerous others.
Artists premiered on the Hackney Empire stage since reopening are too numerous to mention: Julian Clary, Paul Merton, Harry Enfield, Jo Brand, Lilly Savage and Oliver Samuels are classic examples.
The aim of the appeal is to raise £15 million to renovate this beautiful theatre. The lottery have already given a grant of £10 million and so far £500,000 has been raised but there is still another £4.5 million to go.
If you would like to help bring the Hackney Empire back to its prime you can either visit the Hackney Empire Website or telephone 020 8533 1133 for further information on fundraising events.
