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The Red Nose Day night of TV returns to screens on Friday 17 March on BBC One and iPlayer from 7pm
Prince William meets two people, Nawshin and Miles, from a homelessness charity supported by Comic Relief
With homelessness on the rise, all three share their own thoughts and feelings on an issue that affects hundreds of thousands across the heard country
Together they discuss harmful misconceptions and what more needs to be done to help people struggling
Comic Relief has funded homelessness projects since 1988
Money raised this Red Nose Day will help people through the toughest times of their lives and tackle issues such as homelessness, mental health and food poverty
Viewers can watch the film in full during the Red Nose Day night of TV on Friday 17 March, from 7pm on BBC One
To support Comic Relief, you can donate online at comicrelief.com/donate(opens in new window)
Wednesday 15 March: This Red Nose Day, Prince William is helping to shine a light on the stark reality of homelessness in the UK, an issue that affects hundreds of thousands of people across the country.
Rough sleeping in England has risen by 26% in a year amid the spiralling cost-of-living crisis, and research shows the number of people estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2022 to be more than 3,000* -however this is thought to be the tip of the iceberg.
The sheer scale of the issue may be far greater as the number of people in temporary accommodation or considered to be 'hidden homeless' are not accounted for, including people staying with family and friends, sofa surfing or living in unsuitable housing such as squats or sheds.
Many people facing these extreme challenges feel overlooked by society.
This Red Nose Day, Prince William has spent time with Groundswell, a homelessness organisation funded by Comic Relief, for a special thought-provoking film which will be shown during the Red Nose Day night of TV on Friday 17 March on BBC One and iPlayer.
His Royal Highness is Patron of two charities that work to tackle homelessness, Centrepoint and The Passage, and is committed to playing a role in the efforts to making homelessness rare, brief and non-recurrent.
Groundswell supports people with direct experience of homelessness and provides opportunities for them to be part of creating solutions to help people move out of homelessness for good. Viewers will see Prince William meet Nawshin and Miles who know first-hand what life is like being homeless as they record a podcast as part of Groundswell’s Listen Up! Project. Together they share personal experiences, discuss harmful misconceptions and explore what more needs to be done. Prince William also shares where his passion for tackling the issue stems from.
Speaking in the film, His Royal Highness says: “My mother introduced me to the cause of homelessness from quite a young age, and I'm really glad she did. I think she would be disappointed that we are still no further on in terms of tackling homelessness and preventing it than when she was interested and involved in it."
Miles, says: “Homelessness is about not having a safe space - it's a very isolating life. You exist, you don't live. Groundswell helps to give a voice to people who have experienced homelessness. People who experience homelessness have solutions if you just ask them – they know what needs changing."
Nawshin, says: “I didn't have a choice but to leave home - I had a lot of childhood trauma and circumstances happened around me that were out of my control. Coming to Groundswell and being supported to share my story has really helped me. It is powerful for people to actually listen.”
This Red Nose Day, money raised will help support people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and tackle issues such as homelessness, mental health, and food poverty here in the UK and around the world.
Samir Patel, CEO of Comic Relief said: “We believe those who are closest to the issues have the best solutions and we’re proud to be supporting Groundswell’s important work to enable people facing such difficulties to not only be heard but be part of finding new ways to tackle homelessness. Our huge thanks go to Prince William, Nawshin and Miles for helping to raise awareness of this worsening issue and raise much needed funds at such a crucial time."
Comic Relief has supported homelessness projects since 1988, and over the past two years Comic Relief’s funding has helped to support over more than 31,000 people experiencing or at risk of homelessness to access safe accommodation and specialist support.
Red Nose Day night of TV returns on Friday 17 March, from 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
To support Comic Relief, you can donate online at comicrelief.com/donate(opens in new window)
ENDS
*Source: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/rough-sleeping-snapshot-in-england-autumn-2022(opens in new window)
ASSETS AVAILABLE
Clip of the film available here(opens in new window)
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Red Nose Day PR Team:
020 7820 2500
media@comicrelief.com
www.comicrelief.com/media-centre
Out of hours enquiries: 07984 510 473
NOTES TO EDITORS:
About Red Nose Day
Red Nose Day is back on Friday 17 March 2023.
Once a year, we all come together to help those who need it most – and we have a great time doing it. So, this year, whether you bake a cake or sponsor your mates, buy a Red Nose or donate on your phone, let’s make Red Nose Day the best day ever. Together we can help people going through the toughest times of their lives and help them break free from the effects of poverty, in the UK and around the world.
Whatever you’re able to do this year - you’ll be part of something incredible and most importantly you’ll be helping to change people’s lives for the better. Visit comicrelief.com/rednoseday(opens in new window) or follow @ComicRelief on social media for the latest Red Nose Day content, news and information.
Red Nose Day is an initiative of Comic Relief.
About Comic Relief
Comic Relief uses the power of humour and popular culture to engage people to help others and raises money to support organisations working towards a just world free from poverty.
Our mission combines Comic and Relief. We believe that helping others can be easy and fun, even in the face of the challenges we face every day.
Everyone should be able to have a decent standard of living and to live life with dignity and respect – but right now, in the UK and around the world, poverty and injustice restrict too many of us. We know that a better world is possible. We provide funding to fantastic organisations who are closest to the communities who can make change happen. We support work that will help to alleviate poverty’s consequences, tackle related injustices, and address the link between climate change and poverty.
For information about Comic Relief and the work it carries out, please visit www.comicrelief.com(opens in new window) or follow @ComicRelief on social media for the latest content, news and information.
Comic Relief is the operating name of Charity Projects, registered charity in England & Wales (326568) and Scotland (SC039730).
About Groundswell
Groundswell works with people with experience of homelessness, offering opportunities to contribute to society and create solutions to homelessness. Participation is at our core because the experience of homelessness is crucial in making decisions that affect lives and ultimately help people to move out of homelessness. Groundswell exists to tackle:
Homelessness - everyone has the right to a safe home and to contribute to society
Health inequalities - everyone has the right to good health and a right to access healthcare.
A lack of participation - people with experience of homelessness should inform the solution.
A society that doesn’t work for everyone - the system has been designed in a way that restricts opportunity, it needs to change to work for everyone.
Listen Up! is a lived experience-led project, kickstarting major change towards better healthcare access and life expectancy for people facing homelessness. Listen Up! aims to end homelessness by tackling homeless health inequalities. We gather peoples experience of homelessness and bring this to key decision makers, so they collaborate in creating change leading to equal access to healthcare and the opportunity to move out of homelessness for good.
More information can be found online at: https://groundswell.org.uk/ (opens in new window)
