Kevin Cahill CBE: Raising Money, Changing Lives… (and Having Fun Along the Way)
Kevin Cahill CBE: Raising Money, Changing Lives… (and Having Fun Along the Way)
Kevin Cahill CBE
Raising Money, Changing Lives… (and Having Fun Along the Way)
Wednesday 2 November 2011
Newton building, NTU City site
Lecture abstract:
In Red Nose Day and Sport Relief, Comic Relief has two of the biggest fundraising events in the world. The huge totals raised through them, however, can only be finally judged by the changes the money helps deliver in the lives of the poorest, most vulnerable communities at home and across the world.
This lecture looked at some of the key ingredients of Comic Relief's success so far and the on-going challenge of raising cash in a more competitive world and difficult economic environment. It also examined the tougher challenge of changing hearts and minds, and spending the money to deliver sustainable, systemic change.
Speaker biography:
Kevin joined Comic Relief as Director of Education and Information in February 1991. In June 1992, he became Director of Communications adding fundraising to his responsibilities, and in October the following year, he became Deputy Director taking on the creative brief across the whole organisation, including education work, TV, publicity, press and media.
In July 1997, Kevin was appointed Chief Executive. He had the idea to do Sport Relief and has seen it grow in strength since 2002. He played a key role in the Make Poverty History and Live 8 campaigns and is President of the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund (CPEF), a US charity set up by Comic Relief in 2007. In 2007, Kevin was awarded a CBE for services to charity.
From 1982 to 1991, Kevin was Head of Education at the Royal National Theatre. He set up a new department under Peter Hall to work on programmes that explained the process of theatre, and particularly the repertoire of the National, to its audience, schools and the general public. He was chair of the Gate Theatre for many years and has been a board member at the Young Vic.
He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Nottingham Trent University in 2008.
