The Amy Winehouse Foundation officially launches today with donations in the UK being accepted through a fund set up by Comic Relief.

Comic Relief were approached by the Foundation for advice on establishing a foundation and set up the fund as an interim measure while the details of the charity are worked out.

In a statement Comic Relief said: "We were pleased and proud to offer our help in dealing with this in the short term." 

If the Foundation is not set up Comic Relief will use the funds for similar charitable activities.

Non-profit public benefit organisation, America Gives Back, has also set up a similar fund in the US to accept donations there.

Last month Mitch Winehouse, Amy’s father, revealed on his Twitter page that he had trouble setting up the Foundation and was forced to return donations from the public as somebody else had registered both the internet domain name and the name with Companies House.

Launched on what would have been Amy’s 28th birthday, the Foundation aims to support charitable activities in both the UK and abroad that provide help, support or care for young people, including those with addictions.

Mitch Winehouse said: “Amy was very generous and we kept coming back to the thought of how much she loved children. It seemed appropriate that the focus of our work should be with young people, those who are vulnerable either through ill health or circumstance.”

A duet Amy recorded with Tony Bennett shortly before her death is also released today and all royalties from sales of the single will be donated to the Foundation.