20 YEARS OF PRIDE OF BRITAIN
RICHARD Curtis has made us laugh and cry with his films and TV shows, from Blackadder to Four Weddings and A Funeral, Notting Hill and Love Actually.
But the writer and director has also helped change the lives of millions around the world with his charity work.
He co-founded Comic Relief, which launched on Christmas Day in
1985 from the Safawa refugee camp in Sudan. Richard wanted to do something about the African famine, as well as tackle the challenges faced by the poor. Since the first Red Nose Day in 1988, the charity has helped raise more than £1billon.
In Africa, the money has provided education on HIV and Aids, taught women to read, immunised children and helped to rebuild communities after conflict.
In 2005 – the same year Richard received the outstanding contribution award at the Pride of Britain Awards – he coined the phrase Make Poverty History, and became the driving force behind the campaign. A coalition of more than 400 charities, unions and faith groups put pressure on the Government to change unjust trade practices, cancel poor countries’ debt and deliver more aid.
On July 2, 2005, Live8, a series of concerts organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, took place around the world, attracting £14billion in aid from wealthy countries.
“All you can do is all you can,” said Richard. “I haven’t done anything to attempt to affect government decisions before, but it’s just got to be worthwhile.”
Richard, 62, received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award in 2007, and a year later, the BAFTA Humanitarian Award for co-creating Comic Relief. And he’s continued to entertain us with films including About Time and War Horse.
“We are lucky we live in a country where there are enormous amounts of love and happiness,” he said.