It’s that time of year again. Perfectly sane adults start wearing their pyjamas to work, decorating their cars with all manner of bizarre red bunting, and generally making fools of themselves. A nine year old girl this morning asked me for some spare change. When asked what for, she gabbled excitedly that if she got enough, she would be allowed to throw a flan at her teacher’s face; a better reason than most to give money to small children, I thought.
Yes, Comic Relief kicks off tomorrow. Over the years, Red Nose Day has become an institution. Even the meanest, most negative people in the UK, who protest that aid sent to Africa “all goes on administration”, feel inclined to get into the swing of things and don the iconic red conk. This year, though, Comic Relief faces some of its toughest challenges, which indicated the difficulties all charities are going through in the current climate.
In 1999, Comic Relief raised a whopping £35 million, and in 2007, this had almost doubled to £67.7 million. It proves just how much money you can raise simply by doing something stupid for a bit of spare change. There are concerns for tomorrow’s fun, however, as charitable donations have slumped dramatically since the credit crunch hit, and charity jobs are beginning to be cut left, right and centre.
Chief executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations Steve Etherington told the BBC of the gloom surrounding charities as donors withdraw regular giving and people out and about start watching their spare change. He said that organisations such as Acorns Hospice, YMCA and Clic Sargeant have already experienced job losses and are planning to lose more staff to cope with rising prices and decreasing funds.
Better-known charities such as Oxfam will fare better, due to their established branding, but have also reported a plateau in donations. The issue presents a catch 22 type problem. Now is the time that charities are most needed, as people become homeless, indebted, and unable to afford care, yet the public is less likely to give to charity, making it impossible for charities function at their normal level, let alone perform better.
Nobody seems able to predict what will happen to Comic Relief this year. Although the credit crunch has spelled trouble for the sector, which is haemorrhaging charity jobs, Red Nose Day has everything a charity could dream of; primetime BBC coverage, heaps of celebrity endorsement, and over a decade of familiar, high-profile history for the public to engage with. The outcome of Comic Relief’s efforts tomorrow, in that case, will serve as a benchmark for the whole sector; is it time to tighten belts, pack up organisations entirely, or grit teeth and ride out the storm?
Author
Rachel Charman, a writer for JuicyJobs; Ethical Jobs UK – an environmentally friendly green job search board which offers free job listings to Environmental, NGO’s, NFP’s and ethical companies promoting green, fair trade services and support sustainable living. For job seekers Juicyjobs can help you find the ideal ethical jobs in London.
