Now that the year is fully underway and spring is almost upon us, outreach projects at the BBC continue to thrive. Next month is Red Nose Day and we're all putting in our best efforts to support Comic Relief. Read on for news about how the BBC is also bringing history to people's doorsteps and bridging the generation gap in Bristol .

Noses are red

It's coming to that time of year again when we're all asked to dig deep to support Comic Relief. This year it's Red Nose Day and the British public is being asked to 'Do Something Funny for Money!'

Let's Dance for Comic Relief makes a welcome return as some famous faces hone their, ahem, dancing skills in aid of a good cause. Meanwhile, celebrities such as Scott Mills and Lorraine Kelly are already pushing themselves to the limit for the Red Nose Desert Trek. They are attempting to cross one of the world's most inhospitable deserts in Northern Kenya to raise cash for the charity.

You can find loads of fundraising ideas online - or order a fundraising kit through the post - so if you feel like drinking a pint of beans or hosting your own karaoke night to raise money, here's where you can find out how!

Coming up...

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the BBC National Chorus of Wales will perform the St. David's Day Concertat St. David’s Hall in Cardiff. The concert will also be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 .

The Bang Goes the Theory Roadshow gets out to meet people at the IEC in London before they take to the road for this year's journey around the UK .

Various events will be enjoyed and celebrated at the BBC Big Screens, including Six Nations games, Comic Relief and the Royal Wedding.

The Big Red Nose Show aims to create the largest kazoo orchestra on the planet in at the Royal Albert Hall.

Young musicians are developing new skills and improving their existing skills at BBC Proms Composer Labs.

More forthcoming events

Making the switch easier

Culture Minister Ed Vaizey dropped in on the Switchover Help Scheme Bus when it was in Derby last week. The team from the BBC-run Help Scheme was there to offer older and disabled residents advice about the practical help they can receive to switch to digital TV.

Members of the public were invited to ask the team questions about switchover and to find out how the Help Scheme can make switching to digital TV easier. They also had the opportunity to try out digital equipment first hand.

As well as meeting the Help Scheme's regional team, the Minister used the opportunity to talk with members of the public about digital switchover.

Getting hands on

Hands on History is a BBC Learning campaign aimimg to help audiences discover history on their doorstep. To accompany the epic new BBC Two series A History of Ancient Britain, there will be a whistle-stop tour of five cities around the UK, challenging audiences to help us solve the mystery of Stonehenge and how the stones were moved.

Together with a team of archaeologists, people will be invited to handle artefacts, take part in an interactive mini-drama and observe a model of one of the inner stones.

Hands on History activity packs are also available to download on the website so audiences can discover more in their own time.

Generation game

The BBC has been supporting a great scheme in Bristol this month. Live In and Live On is an intergenerational project that brings elderly residents and young people together to share their experiences. The generations came together in Easton recently to discuss the parallel experiences of immigrants arriving in Bristol now and in the 1950s.

This type of project gets the BBC into the heart of local communities and meeting people that our broadcasts don't easily reach.

The next part of the project will see local artists working with children to interpret the older generation's personal stories into pieces of art. The artwork will be exhibited at the Easton Community Centre in April.

Making a splash

Did you know that 1 in 5 children leave school unable to swim? That's 20% of the population who are at risk around water.

BBC Sport is tackling this by gearing up to bring the Big Splash Campaign to a swimming pool near you. Launching nationally in May 2011, the campaign is hoping to get people into or onto the water, while making the nation healthier, fitter and more active ahead of the 2012 Olympics.

To find support to deliver the project, BBC Sport ran an event at Salford University where students competed for a coveted work placement with the team. Students were asked to create a piece of content designed to encourage people to get into or onto the water.

All the world's a stage….

Off By Heart Shakespeare is a fantastic opportunity for secondary school students to take part in a BBC contest to learn, recite and perform a speech from a Shakespearean play. The aim is to give students an exciting experience of Shakespeare's work and the opportunity to take part in an actor-led workshop.

Finalists will receive expert coaching before going forward to compete in a Grand Final in 2012. The winner will be crowned Schools Shakespeare Champion and their school will receive £500 in book tokens for their school.

Regional heats will take place in autumn 2011, and teachers will be able to nominate pupils from June.

Sustainability

The sustainability team continues to promote the BBC's sustainability agenda across the organisation and embed sustainability into everyday working practices. Each quarter staff are asked to focus on one of our four targets: energy, transport, water and waste.

This quarter, staff members are being asked to do their bit towards reducing waste as well as increasing recycling in the office - following the message "reduce, reuse, recycle".

Prominent messages are being displayed around BBC buildings, encouraging staff to follow simple steps, such as always printing double-sided and making sure we put the right things in the right bins. Something we can all do, at work and at home!