Red Nose Day - and many of you were already rehearsing excuses as to your lack of comedy facial accessories or baked bean-filled baths.

But according to Kat Dibbits, perhaps it is time to stop being so cynical and remember what Comic Relief is all about. . .

SOMETIMES it seems that cynicism is the only fashionable reaction to any event. We are all so postmodern and "cool" that it is easier to scoff than it is to be brave enough to join in.

And nowhere is this more true than when it comes to that eternal charity clown, Lenny Henry.

But this year's Comic Relief sees all the "cool kids" jump on board with Lenny. It's official - cynicism is over, so dig out your red nose.

All across Bolton businesses have been preparing to raise money through fun shenanigans today.

Bolton's own Danny Jones, singer in the pop band McFly, has spoken this year about how pleased the band was to visit Africa to see the good that the money from the 2004 Comic Relief single, All About You, has done.

And the line-up for tonight's television marathon confounds the belief that charity TV is all about has-been singers and giant cash barometers.

The presence of Kate Thornton and Fearne Cotton - rather hopefully referred to as "top TV talent" by the Comic Relief marketing department - is luckily offset by man of the moment Russell Brand, stalwarts Paul O'Grady and Graham Norton and a rehabilitated Chris Evans.

And the emphasis is on the comic for the shows themselves, too - and not just because of the charmingly overwrought Fame Academy performances of EastEnders' Shaun Williamson. Little Britain, Catherine Tate, Ricky Gervais and Mitchell and Webb have all provided Comic Relief specials featuring some celebrity guests.

But there is a serious reason why we should support Comic Relief, too.

Since its inception in 1985, Comic Relief has raised more than £425 million. Of this total, a massive £355 million has been raised through Comic Relief's 10 Red Nose Days.

Of that total, 60 per cent is spent in Africa and 40 per cent here in Britain.

The money sent to Africa - which includes the money from the McFly single - has helped to build schools, hospitals and other vital amenities.

McFly's Danny said: "It's really rewarding because we saw what the money from the single did."

One of the African charities which benefits from the cash raised is the St Matthew's Children's Fund in Ethiopia.

The fund aims to help protect vulnerable children in Ethiopia, regardless of their race or religion. After the terrible famine and civil war of the mid-1980s, many Ethiopian children were orphaned or abandoned.

When the country settled down in the 1990s, the fund set about trying to reunite the younger children with their families and help the older ones reintegrate into the community.

Now it is also trying to teach communities how to help their own vulnerable children, so the problem of having to care for youngsters in children's homes will not arise again.

Eleven-year-old Ramadan, who was helped by the St Matthew's Children's Fund, said: "Not long after my mother died, I ended up living on the streets with nothing - not even a blanket.

"The project helped me and my brothers and sisters build a small house.

"We've even got a little stove to cook our meals and I'm back at school - doing really well."

More than 1,500 projects across 40 African countries have received funding with cash raised through Red Nose Day. Fifty pounds can pay the school fees of two children living in extreme poverty in Ethiopia for a whole year.

Back home, Comic Relief is this year working with mental health charities to help bring light and hope to people suffering from often stigmatised conditions.

One in four people in the UK will experience mental health problems over the course of a year. And these are issues that can affect anyone, regardless of age, ethnicity, gender or wealth.

Money from Comic Relief funds numerous counselling centres in the North-west, including Counselling Direct in Bury.

Not only is Comic Relief raising cash for the charities, it is also working to raise awareness of the issue, around which there is still a lot of fear and misunderstanding.

One way it is doing this is by supporting charities such as the Wish Centre in Harrow, which provides support for girls who self-harm.

One person who has benefited from the centre is Dannie, aged 19, who said: "I was seven when I first started self harming. As well as being bullied at school, life at home was tough and I felt very alone. At first I would just scratch the back of my hands, then as I got older I'd use compasses and razors.

"The Wish Centre gave me another way to cope. By talking with other girls, achieving things together and being able to help other girls like me, it built up my self-esteem and confidence. I haven't cut myself in a year."

Through the years the one consistent face of Comic Relief has been Lenny Henry, who has spoken about suffering from depression that eventually saw him admitted to the Priory.

He said: "What's great about Comic Relief is that at one end you have money that goes into a Red Nose and at the other end it feeds a family. Because of Comic Relief these families can look towards a future with hope rather than despair."