Comic Relief has confirmed the organisation made 25 redundancies before Christmas and said more will follow, as the charity undergoes “holistic restructuring”.
Under the direction of Liz Warner, who took over as chief executive at the end of 2016, Comic Relief has “reshaped the structure of the whole organisation”, a spokesman said.
Comic Relief has merged and created a number of directorates within the organisation in order to make it "as creative and efficient as possible" for the future, the spokesman said. He called the redundancies a "sadder element" of the process.
The restructuring process is likely to finish by the spring. Once completed, the total number of full-time employees at the organisation is intended to increase from 218 to 221.
The charity did not reveal how much it had paid out to those made redundant in December.
'Standing still is never an option for us'
Bill Griffin, the organisation’s new executive director of brand and creative, told Civil Society News: “Innovation has always been at the heart of how Comic Relief works, helping us raise over a billion pounds and making a real difference to the lives of people in the UK and around the world. Standing still simply is never an option for us if want to continue to have the biggest possible impact tackling poverty and injustice.
“That’s why we are evolving how we work – ensuring that Comic Relief can keep ahead of the changing world around us. These changes will enable us to build on the success we’ve had in the past, and inspire a new generation to engage with the issues we’re seeking to address.
“Change can be uncomfortable at times but we have a duty to everyone who has supported us – and all those members of the public who donate to our campaigns – to use the money we raise to maximum effect.”
Once the restructuring process is complete, Comic Relief will have six directorates as opposed to five. Amongst these new directorates will be a newly merged brand and creative department and an entirely new digital and innovation directorate.
