Red Nose Day – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Amazon Bathgate team shares joy of Red Nose Day

The team from Amazon in Bathgate shared laughs on site last week to raise awareness and funds for Comic Relief in the run-up to Red Nose Day on 17^th March.

Comic Relief was founded in 1985 by the scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry. The charity funds and partners with organisations who support people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and tackle issues such as homelessness, mental health problems and food poverty in the UK and around the world. Every year, the charity hosts a nationwide fundraising campaign called Red Nose Day.

Amazon is the new, exclusive home of the new Red Nose, created by legendary designer Sir Jony Ive. Made almost entirely from plant-based materials, the Red Nose starts as a tiny, flat crescent and springs into a beautiful honeycomb-paper sphere. With every Red Nose bought, supporters are helping people through the toughest times of their lives as 100% of all profits go directly to Comic Relief.

Colleagues at the sortation centre in Bathgate took part in a week-long series of activities in the lead up to Red Nose Day 2023 (17^th March). Events included a village-themed party with games such as go kart racing, wooden ring toss and darts, with the aim of raising awareness of the work of Comic Relief.

The team also donated £1,000 to Ponies Help Children to boost a local cause whose focus is in keeping with Comic Relief’s objectives.

Throughout the week, Amazon employees were encouraged to snap photos of themselves wearing Red Noses in a virtual photobooth, with £1 donated to Comic Relief for every picture taken.

Speaking on the activities on site, Gary Reid, Site Leader of Amazon in Bathgate, said: “Delivering Red Noses is just one of the ways our team is supporting Comic Relief this year.

“We’ve had so much fun getting together and helping to support the remarkable work Comic Relief does through our fundraising efforts. We are also pleased to donate £1,000 to Ponies Help Children to boost those working to help people struggling in their community.”

Gary Reid, from Amazon in Bathgate who took part in the activities, added: “I loved having a laugh with the team here in Bathgate in the lead up to Red Nose Day.

“Whether it was through a virtual photobooth or wooden ring toss, we had a lot of fun together raising awareness and funds for the many causes the charity supports.”

Samir Patel, CEO of Comic Relief, said: “Ever since we first created the Red Nose in 1988, it has always been a way of showing people how even the smallest of things can make a huge difference.

“We know times are difficult right now, but millions of people across the UK and around the world need our support. If we all come together and do what we can, like buy a Red Nose, we can make real change happen.

“We are hugely grateful to all Amazon colleagues and customers who are able to support this year’s Red Nose Day. Together we can be there for people going through the toughest times of their lives.”

Since November 2022, Amazon has donated £1.8 million as part of its support to Comic Relief and its employees up and down the country have been taking part in weird and wonderful fundraising activities, helping to raise even more money for Red Nose Day.

To read more about Amazon’s partnership with Comic Relief visit:

https://www.aboutamazon.co.uk/news/company-news/amazon-is-the-new-home-of-comic-reliefs-iconic-red-nose.

Having A Laugh: Championing gender equality on Red Nose Day

Scottish Government funding for Comic Relief projects across Africa

Ensuring women and girls in Africa are safe, equal and respected is a key focus on Red Nose Day.

Funding of £200,000 this year brings the overall Scottish Government match funding for Comic Relief to £2.7 million since 2017. This funding has supported a number of projects aimed at tackling lack of education, poverty and violence against women and children in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia.

To build on this work, a Women and Girls’ Fund will be established later this year as part of a new international development Equalities Programme announced in the 2021/22 Programme for Government. This fund will be created for community organisations in the three African partner countries, with women’s rights groups invited to design the fund.

International Development Minister Neil Gray said: “We are proud of our collaboration with Comic Relief. Our partnership has helped ensure women and girls are safe, equal and respected, and our investment continues to support them to reach their full potential.

“Our funding for Comic Relief’s Levelling the Field Programme uses sport to tackle some of the key issues faced by women and girls in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. As a powerful tool for driving long-term positive social change, sport is able to challenge stereotypes and increase opportunities for education, employment, training, and leadership.

“The success of our partnership with Comic Relief is enabling us to establish a fund for Women and Girls in Africa where women’s-led organisations will have an opportunity to determine funding priorities.”

Chief Executive Officer of Comic Relief Samir Patel said: “We are incredibly proud of our longstanding partnership with the Scottish Government.

“Through our Levelling the Field programme, local organisations in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia are using innovative Sport for Change approaches to challenge gender injustices and inspire women and girls to reach their full potential.”

The Scottish Government has supported Comic Relief over five years with a total of £2.7 million:

£1.2 million for Levelling the Field I (2017 – 2020)
£1.5 million for Levelling the Field II (2020 – 2023)

Sainsbury’s Blackhall raises over £7000 for Comic Relief

The money has been collected and counted – and Sainsbury’s Blackhall have today announced that their fundraising for Red Nose Day 2013 raised a magnificent £ 7,116.00!

Local residents across North Edinburgh got in the spirit by raising funds, including Sainsbury’s customers, who made a huge contribution by donating money to fundraising events at the Blackhall store as well purchasing this year’s range of merchandise including the Nose with Toes, sold in-store.

Among the fundraising highlights at the Blackhall store this year were our colleague and local resident, Susie Booth’s Sponsored Silence, at her checkout – £ 464, a Ladies Night at Silverknowes Golf Club – £ 1,042 and the Cheeky Chopstick Challenge at Blackhall and Davidson’s Mains Primary Schools – £ 606. . Other activities which saw colleagues ‘Do Something Funny for Money’ included an in-store Zumba class.

Sainsbury’s Blackhall Store Manager David Bainbridge said: “Many of our colleagues were ‘reddy’ to go one step further this year to mark the 25^th anniversary of Red Nose Day. It’s been a great experience over the last few weeks and we wouldn’t have raised this much if it wasn’t for the generous donations from our North Edinburgh customers”.

Sainsbury’s supermarkets, including North Edinburgh customers were able to do their bit for the environment too by recycling their Red Noses in-store until the end of March. Sainsbury’s and Comic Relief have partnered for a second year with leading UK carpet underlay manufacturer, Ball & Young, to recycle the PU Foam Red Noses. The collected Noses will start a new life as part of Ball & Young’s award-winning Cloud 9 range of underlays, used mainly in British homes.

Katherine How, Sainsbury’s Comic Relief Partnership Manager, added: “It’s good news for the environment and it’s helping Comic Relief supporters make an even bigger lasting impact, so thank-you to everyone who wore their Red Noses with pride and have now given them a new home”.

And good news comes in three’s – the Name the 3^rd Guide Dog Puppy also raised £ 100 for Red Nose Day and £ 100 for Guide Dogs – the winner will be announced shortly!

Name a Guide Dog pup and support Red Nose Day too!

Name a Guide Dog Puppy and help Guide Dogs and Comic Relief!

Sainsbury’s Blackhall customers and colleagues have now raised enough funds for a third Guide Dog puppy and would like to invite the community to help name the puppy – customers can enter their nomination instore until Friday 15 March (Red Nose Day).

Guide Dog puppies Jasper and Sandy, will also be in-store on Monday 4th and Friday 15th of March to show their support!

Donations will be split between Guide Dogs and Comic Relief – £15,904 has been raised so far, and Sainsbury’s Blackhall colleagues are supporting Red Nose Day by taking part in fundraising and selling the official Red Nose Day merchandise.

Red Nose Day is on Friday 15th March.