Comic Relief Day program

I have just got back from Sainsbury's. Now, I really like Comic Relief. Partly I like it because the entertainment is good. Partly I like the fact they help charities who help children in real need in the developing world, so the cause is good. Also I have to say SOS Children always does particularly well on Comic Relief day; all the awareness which is raised through the TV gala for children in the developing world generates people's interest, and plenty of people either decide they will cut out the middle man and give directly to a charity running programs or decide that one night a year won't do much for a child and make a longer term commitment by sponsoring a child. So why on earth am I writing about it? Well, today is 13 February and my local Sainsbury's is filled with Comic Relief products and has buckets at every till. And Comic Relief Day is 13 March, one day over a month away. Some "day".

At Sainsbury's Comic Relief comes earlier every year

Christmas they say comes earlier every year and Comic Relief "day" now seems to be not just a day or even a week but over a month at Sainsbury's.

Is this a good thing? Personally my feelings are a bit torn. Today is the last day of World Orphan Week when many people have been wearing WOW or Bowler Hats (Yes, it is Bowler Hat Day today) for the orphans we care for in 123 countries. Comic Relief already has massive fundraising resources given to it so taking over so much of the calendar seems a bit much. All basically to raise funds which could have been given directly to charities by donors (the charities will now be doing forms and committees to get any of the funds). Also given how many times I have been told by supermarkets in so many words that they want to support a charity within 500m to make up for the fact that (according to Alan Davies on QI last night) each Kiwi fruit they sell takes more than its own weight in aviation fuel to get there. That's called being local! I am tempted to say something uncharitable about how charitable they become towards the developing world when there is something in it for them.

Bless them and wish them well anyway

But I won't say anything uncharitable and instead I wish them the very best of luck. Not, I might add because we are hoping for money from them this year: we are a busy lightweight office and don't have the time to apply for everything. But simply because unlike some of the commercial end of the charitable sector which might as well be big business Comic Relief is still about honest and sincere individuals just trying to make the world a better place. And anyone like that is our friend even if they are also our competitor and sometimes tread on our toes without even realizing it.

Written by Andrew Cates, CEO SOS Children UK