JTSMA Jeans for Genes News Page

This year, we will be there too! The Jennifer Trust for Spinal Muscular Atrophy will also be taking part and gearing up our own army of supporters to put their weight behind Jeans for Genes Day.

We have been chosen as one of four new guest charities to benefit from the campaign in 2002 alongside the four existing beneficiaries -

• Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital,
• the CGD Research Trust,
• the MPS Society and
• the PiA.

First, for those of you who don't know, Jeans for Genes takes place on the first Friday in October.
All you have to do is wear jeans to work or school for the day and donate £1 for the privilege. You can do more, of course, but the campaign has been so successful because the basic idea is so simple.

Success is not only in Jeans for Genes' simplicity but also because it's fun! In 2001, over 60,000 businesses, schools and organisations thought so.

• Young and old nationwide - from nurseries to pensioners' groups - raised money while officialdom shed the red tape for the day as thousands of councils, local authorities, hospitals and even some police forces put on the denims.

• Many went a step further, laying on additional fund-raising and sponsorship events. Pupils wore pyjamas to school in Lancashire, Norfolk insurance workers wore fancy dress, pupils at scores of schools held fashion shows and Wild West Days were another favourite.

• Slimmers around the country took the chance to show off their new figures in jeans and held special weigh-ins for Jeans for Genes.

• Sponsored head shaves...and even leg waxes...were another favourite. Children held sponsored silences and other quirky fundraising events included a sponsored bounce, a sponsored soaking of staff by pupils and a charity bungee ball ride.

Don't be put off by this if it sounds like too much work. Jeans for Genes has a special revamped Family Supporters Network to provide information for all its charity members.

It will send out packs to interested families via us in the Summer. This will give you lots of ideas on how to help yourself and on how to approach people for help.

You can also log on to the Jeans for Genes website at www.jeansforgenes.com to register yourself, your company or school as a supporter or call the freephone hotline 0800 980 4800.

Each supporter is sent a fund-raising pack in the September with more information on the campaign and ideas for raising money.

• Another way you can help the campaign is by speaking to the local media about your own family's story. First person case studies are crucial to the campaign's success because they help the public to understand what a genetic disease is and how much local children need their help. It also helps to raise awareness of the specific condition affecting your family.

Jeans for Genes has a press officer who looks for opportunities around the country for all the participating charities' families to speak to the press. We will be asking our families to register with us if they feel they can help in this way.

New at Jeans for Genes this year is Family Liaison Officer Richard Stone who will be co-ordinating details of families around the country who are happy to talk to the media. He will be doing this in liaison with each charity to ensure that every charity has the chance to be well represented in the media.

At the Jennifer Trust for Spinal Muscular Atrophy Anita Macaulay will be responsible for our families who are happy to speak to the media.

Keep an eye on the Jeans for Genes website too if you have access to the Internet as it will be featuring new special sections for families and supporters to register. A dedicated area at www.jeansforgenes.com/families is under development for the benefiting charities' members and will be launched in July.

If you're planning to organize your own event to support Jeans for Genes, don't forget to keep Jeans for Genes informed. They might be able to help out with ideas and publicity.

If you would like to order a copy of the Jeans for Genes Family Supporters Pack or chat through how you can support this year's campaign - from distributing leaflets and selling badges to volunteering for media interviews and cheque presentation requests - contact Anita Macaulay at the Jennifer Trust for Spinal Muscular Atrophy on 01789 267520 or fill in the form below.

© JTSMA, 2002