So Red Nose Day, as an initiative of Comic Relief has raised over £74 Million pounds to date .....

Snoops, I think Comic Relief and Red Nose Day are so successful because of various reasons eg...

1 It's thought of by the British public as a British 'institution' in its familiarity and regularity. Comic Relief started over 20 years ago!

2 It's officially supported by other well known British 'institutions' such as Sainsburys and Oxfam that we all love and trust.

3 It's an annual tv event!

4 It appeals hugely to children, largely because of its emphasis on fun and silliness!

5 Britain's 'love affair' with celebrity culture feeds it and British celebrities love the 'kudos' they get from being seen to be part of it.

So basically it's got a 'winning formula' that just works!

But having said that, it's still hugely impressive that the British public are so willing to give generously of their time and money even in these hard economic times. Surely something that we should as a nation be very proud of!

Well, hasn't fruitcake said most of it already? :)

I think, though, one of the major factors lies in it being a ready-made event, with a recognisable cause.

Take this example, my own:

I wanted to do something to raise money for a specific charity - not an organised charity event. I set about finding something suitable, and ended up choosing a 23-mile walk. I then organised my fundraising on my own, as the event wasn't a charity one, and I've been training hard for nearly half a year now, with the walk happening in May this year.

Nobody I know/have spoken to has ever heard of the charity I'm trying to raise money for. I've frequently asked for donations, and I've really pulled the internet in to my campaign, as well as having my charity of choice promote my efforts. How much is currently in my bank, after nearly six months, ready to go to the charity? £21. How much of that did I donate myself, just to make the figure look anywhere near decent? £10. That's £11 of donations in six months.

Now, I'm not saying it's just the event and charity both being unknown that cause this low figure (perhaps it's a reflection on me!), but at the same time on Red Nose Day a good friend of mine did an impromptu sponsored silence and maaged to gather over £100 in donations within an eight hour shift at work. Impressive, I'm sure you'll agree, and something to be very proud of - but I'm sure at least some of those donations can be attributed to it being a well-known event that everyone recognises and can be involved in.

The more people are involved, the more the atmosphere carries. Likewise, you'll have those who donate to Comic Relief year after year, almost as a 'tradition'. I myself used to take the time to donate online each year, during the show. Now, I find there are so many things my friends do for this huge event that I need not go online - I just keep a bit of change in my purse on the day, donate to various people, and feel that I'm not only helping a great cause, but also rewarding friends for their efforts.

Haha. I did just wake up this morning thinking 'And it's so easy to donate to Comic Relief, by phone, text, online, in-store, throwing money at friends...'

I really should have slept better. :p

Mr F asked me the other day if I thought Comic Relief had run its course. I could only say that I thought not as it still raises a huge amount of money.

I'm not sure it would work anywhere else - what other country shares our British sense of humour and the ridiculous?

Long may it continue!