Work with young people is at the very heart of Comic Relief. Whilst many young people lead fulfilling and exciting lives, others face enormous challenges and experience problems that they find difficult to solve on their own. Comic Relief has helped thousands of young people make positive changes in their lives but many more need help and support.

Children who live and work on the streets in Kenya face hardship and discrimination. The project works with children on the street in Kisumu, providing services at a drop-in centre including food and education as well as giving children shelter at night and better access to health care. The project also works in the community to help tackle abuse against street children. Where possible, children are reunited with family members so they can lead safer and more secure lives.

Domestic violence affects hundreds of thousands of families in the UK. Comic Relief has been supporting women experiencing domestic abuse for many years now and we have recently focused our attention on the affects of domestic abuse on children. Growing up in a household where domestic violence takes place leaves children feeling incredibly frightened and withdrawn from their friends as they struggle to keep secret what is happening to them at home.

That’s why the students at Theatre Cats Stage School decided to have a ”Pyjama Day” to raise money for Comic Relief.

The students at Theatre Cats all arrived in their pyjamas, slippers and dressing gowns ready to play games and learn about Red Nose Day. The ”Pyjama Day” classes began with party games to thank the children for their donations. We then worked on monologues and performances.

In our Newhall classes the children devised pieces of drama based on Comic Relief and how the money raised can help so many people. ”I was so pleased to see that the children cared so much.” (Catherine Budworth, Principal of Theatre Cats)

In our Derby classes, the staff made cakes to raise even more money.

Over the week, the students at Theatre Cats managed to raise a total of £125 for Comic Relief! ”The students were so passionate about raising money for charity, we’ll definately be helping charities again in the future.”