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Comic Relief has launched a new partnership with British Airways to raise much needed funds, 365 days of the year, to help children living unimaginably tough lives in cities around the UK and across the world’s poorest countries.
The new initiative, called ‘Flying Start’ aims to raise up to £8 million by 2013 through spare change collections on board British Airways’ flights as well as fundraising activities organised by colleagues across the entire organisation.
To mark the beginning of the exciting new fundraising venture in June this year, actors Bill Nighy and Nick Frost (pictured) flew to Kenya to see how the cash raised through the new partnership could help change children’s lives.
They visited KICOSHEP – a community self-help project supporting orphaned children affected by HIV and AIDS as well as Pendekezo Letu – an organisation that assists street children escape grinding poverty and build a brighter future for themselves.
Speaking of his experience in Kenya, Bill Nighy said: “Meeting some of the most impoverished and vulnerable children in the world has been a humbling experience. Yet, despite the adversity these children face, optimism and hope is strong. Just seeing how Comic Relief has already made a difference has been incredibly inspiring and with the support from Flying Start, we can enrich the lives of even more children.”
This new venture is a historic move for Comic relief as British Airways will be its first corporate partner to raise money all year round and not just in the lead up to the two major fundraising campaigns, Red Nose Day and Sport Relief.
British Airways and Comic Relief believe that every child deserves a happy and secure childhood and that’s why every penny, cent or Euro raised through the programme will go to help turn children’s lives around.
For more information on Flying Start and British Airway’s corporate responsibility programme or to make a donation, please visit: ba.com/flyingstart(opens in new window).
