DOING IT FOR LOVE


Tim Ferguson has a humanitarian streak several miles wide, which has seen him become involved with many charities, particularly children's charities, since early on in his career.

During his Doug Anthony Allstar days, he performed a benefit concert for the Rocky Bay School for Handicapped Children in Perth, and in 1994, the group won a Variety Club Award for Comedy.

After the group's split, Tim continued his charity work and in 1996, worked on Australia's first Comic Relief program as co-host. The program raised over $1 million dollars for Community Aid Abroad, to help fund its development program.

In 1997, Tim entertained guests at a Gala Ball held for the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, who provide a range of services to people who are blind or vision impaired.

From its launch in 1997, Tim has also been heavily involved with the annual Morgan and Banks Youth Jobs Day, a free seminar designed to help young people find a worthwhile job. In his role as Master of Ceremonies, Tim travelled to every State in Australia for the opportunity to share his experiences with young people.

In 1999, Tim contributed to the 'Library Unmasked' program, which was organised by the South Australian State Library Foundation to raise funds for its imaginative 'Wine Literature of the World' project. The Library Unmasked program saw several Australian identities, including Tim, take the opportunity to paint a mask, which were auctioned on the 15th October at a charity dinner.

In 2000, the Neuroscience Institute of Schizophrenia and Allied Disorders held a fundraising dinner, with Tim participating in a celebrity debate on the topic 'Silk Is Tougher Than Jersey'.

Tim has always been a keen supporter of Red Nose Day, and in the same year, he was a special guest at the official launch of Red Nose Day 2000 at Luna Park.

Tim continues to generously donate his support to various charities, a gesture that belies his insistence that he is "just a comic".