British Airways raises £27.3m for Flying Start on Red Nose Day, celebrates with an oarsome race

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British Airways raises £27.3m for Flying Start on Red Nose Day, celebrates with an oarsome race

  • British Airways is celebrating raising more than £27 million for its global charity partnership with Comic Relief by challenging the GB Rowing Team to race a British Airways aircraft
  • Alison Hammond, Rylan and Sir Steve Redgrave put their support behind the event at London City Airport
  • Funds raised for Comic Relief through the Flying Start partnership support charities in the UK and around the world
  • Red Nose Day returns on Friday 17 March

London, UK, 2023-Mar-17 — /Travel PR News/ — This Red Nose Day, British Airways is proud to have raised an incredible £27.3 million for Flying Start, through the airline’s global charity partnership with Comic Relief. The money has been raised over the past 13 years, since the partnership’s launch in 2010.

To celebrate this ‘oarsome’ milestone, British Airways teamed up with Comic Relief celebrity supporters Alison Hammond, Rylan and Sir Steve Redgrave to find out if one of its aircraft could beat the GB Rowing team in a race next to London City Airport.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, rowing legend Sir Steve Redgrave brought together medal-winning members of the GB Rowing Team to take on the challenge. The World Champions and Olympians in the mixed eight boat comprised a cox, four female and four male rowers, who took on a British Airways Cityflyer Embraer 190 Aircraft.

Ahead of the race, Alison Hammond gave words of wisdom to the rowing team, showing them some of her own special warm up tips. At the same time, Rylan prepped the airline’s crew, before both celebs took to the water to cheer everyone to the finish line.

The race took place at London City Airport, next to the Royal Albert Docks with the runway running parallel to the water where many Olympic and World Champion rowers train.

A video of the special challenge can be viewed below and customers will also be able to watch it on British Airways’ inflight-entertainment system later this year.

Sir Steve Redgrave, an honorary trustee of Comic Relief and five-time Olympic gold medal rowing champion, said: “As a trustee for Comic Relief, it’s so fantastic to combine my passion for rowing with a cause so close to my heart. I trained at these docks for many years, so I know them well, but seeing a challenge like this was certainly a first for me. It was a lot of fun and a privilege to be a part of – I’m so pleased to have had the opportunity to help raise awareness for British Airways’ Flying Start charity partnership, that has helped millions of individuals worldwide with its fundraising.”

Mary Brew, British Airways Community Investment Manager said: “We’re so proud to have reached the 13th year of our long-standing partnership with Comic Relief. It’s the generous donations of our customers and the fundraising efforts of our colleagues that has helped us reach another milestone this Red Nose Day.”

Across the business, British Airways’ colleagues also supported fundraising efforts for Red Nose Day this year, with 56 of its cabin crew taking part in the airline’s eighth trolley dash, pushing aircraft trollies more than 15km around the capital. This year’s trolley dash raised more than £12,000 for Flying Start through donations from spectators and online sponsors.

Funds raised through the Flying Start partnership support projects both in the UK and around the world in destinations that British Airways flies to. Examples include Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland which provides tailored support to families with children affected by spina bifida and /or hydrocephalus, and Butterflies in New Delhi, which works with children living or working on the streets to give them life skills to prosper. Butterflies has supported an estimated 2,250 children in New Delhi over the last two years.

Customers can donate to Flying Start by visiting here.

NOTES TO EDITORS

The video was produced in partnership with Starstruck Media.

About Flying Start

  • Flying Start is the global charity partnership between British Airways and Comic Relief.
  • British Airways wants to help young people in the UK and around the world to have the best possible start in life and the chance to have a brighter future.
  • More information can be found at http://www.ba-flyingstart.com/
  • British Airways Executive Club Members can donate to Comic Relief using Avios via the BA Better World Community Fund. Until 31 March 2023, IAG Loyalty is matching the value of all Avios donations made by BA Executive Club Members to causes in the BA Better World Community Fund to the total value of £200,000. Terms and conditions apply (link: https://www.bacommunityfund.co.uk/terms-conditions).

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 www.comicrelief.com/rednoseday 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 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).

Contact Details:

press.office@ba.com.

Source: British Airways

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