Half a million children in the UK are affected by a life-altering genetic disorder. Jeans for Genes Day is an annual fundraising campaign, organised by Genetic Disorders UK (GDUK), to raise awareness and money to transform their lives. This year’s event will take place on Friday 22nd September, and to achieve an even greater impact, GDUK are partnering with smaller genetic disorder charities like Findacure to help them spread the word, and in return, split the proceeds.
We would be delighted if your school or workplace would register to participate in this year’s Jeans for Genes Day in our name. All you have to do is sign up on the official GDUK page, choosing Findacure as your partner from the drop-down list, and encourage your pupils or colleagues to wear jeans on the day in exchange for a small personal donation. Extra fundraising initiatives, such as bake sales or quizzes, are more than welcome! Once you transfer the proceeds to GDUK, they will then transfer half to us for everyone we help to sign up.
The only exception is if you’ve taken part in Jeans for Genes Day in the last three years – in which case, we would still encourage you to take part, but all of the money raised will go to GDUK.
As hundreds of schools and workplaces take part each year, this is a great way for your pupils and colleagues to feel like an important part of the wider movement to end genetic disorders. For schools, it is also an opportunity for you to educate your students about the science of genetics, to promote equality of people affected by rare conditions, and to highlight the importance of charity and social responsibility. In return for your support, we would love to work with your school to develop a suitable activity to promote Jeans for Genes Day. This could take the form of a special assembly held by a member of our team, or a bespoke lesson or activity on the subject.
All of the money donated to us on Jeans for Genes Day will be used to help rare disease patients and advocates develop their own disease-specific charities, and to support and promote research into understudied rare genetic conditions. Raising the profile of these devastating conditions, and providing support for those affected, is of the utmost importance, and you and your team or school could help to make this happen.
Apply for your free fundraising pack to support Findacure and Genetic Disorders UK today!
If you have any questions about Findacure or Jeans for Genes Day, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Fundraising and Communications Officer on libbie@findacure.org.uk.