Comic Relief 2009 brings in £80m

2 July 2009

Comic Relief 2009This year's Comic Relief charity campaign raised a record-breaking £80 million, it has been revealed.

According to organisers, donors defied the recession by giving a grand total of £78,237,675, a leap from 2007's figure of £67 million.

The sale of red noses at Sainsbury's outlets brought in £11 million, while t-shirts designed by Stella McCartney raised a total of £3.3 million.

Organiser and chief fundraiser Lenny Henry told the Mirror: "Everyone across the UK - whether in schools, offices, homes or the blummin' pub - should be immensely proud of how much they've raised for Red Nose Day."

"What a brilliant achievement," the comedian added.

Some £6.3 million has already been allocated to fighting the spread of malaria in Africa.

Malaria Consortium and the Global Fund will use the money to protect one million people from the disease, as well as tuberculosis and Aids.

According to the Comic Relief blog, malaria is Africa's biggest killer of under-fives.

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