Jeans for Genes to set up as independent charity

Howard Lake | 23 May 2006 | News

• Tagged with:
• Giving/Philanthropy

National charity Jeans for Genes is leaving its base at Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity and is setting up as an independent charity.

The national charity, which raises funds for medical research into genetic disorders affecting children, celebrated its tenth anniversary last year. Its major fundraising event is Jeans for Genes Day when millions of people swop the usual dress code and wear jeans in support of the charity.

The appeal is simple: adults pay £2 and children £1 to take part. All they have to do is wear their jeans on the Day, which this year is 6 October, and join in with whatever fun and games is organised as part of the day by teachers, students or office co-ordinators.

Jeans for Genes is in fact an umbrella charity made up of four partner charities:

• Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital
• CGD RT (Chronic Granulomatous Disorder Research Trust)
• MPS (Mucopolysaccaride Diseases)
• PiA (Primary Imunodeficiency Association)

Every year guest charities are invited to be part of the Appeal. This year the guest charities are:

• SPARKS
• WellChild
• XP
• Fragile X
• GIG
• Turner Syndrome

Last year the charity raised £3.5 million and aims to raise £4 million in 2006.

The Jeans for Genes team, which has been based at Great Ormond Street Hospital for the past ten years, will be moving to office space which has been donated by Mellon, an international financial corporation and supporter of Jeans for Genes Day. The team will move to office space in Mellon’s London office near Blackfriars in the City. The existing team of five has grown to eight in the last few months with potential for further expansion.

Dona Selby, who has been Executive Director of Great Ormond Street Hospital for nearly 14 years, will take on the role of Director of Marketing and Communications for the charity.

Jeans for Genes has plans for expansion beyond the successful Jeans for Genes Day and will be initiating a variety of events to take place all year round. These include challenges, The London Marathon, Fashion Shows and a Denim and Diamond Ball.

• Jeans for Genes Day marks 20th year of fundraising (14 September 2015)

About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale. He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.