Staff at Allen & York are stripping themselves of their suits and slipping into their jeans to raise money for Jeans For Genes Day.

Allen & York – based in UK, serving the Natural and Built Environment sectors in the UK - will be helping to GENErate money for charity on Friday 3rd October 2008.

Jeans for Genes aims to change the world for children affected by genetic disorders. The theme for Jeans for Genes Day this year is ‘GENErations’ as the charity is  celebrating the way genes - the basic unit of heredity in a living organism - can filter down through families, influencing appearance, personality, career choices and even sense of humour! 

All members of staff will be donating money for a ‘dress down Friday’ as well as baking to fill the office with cakes and other goodies for a cake sale that will be available for all employees to buy on Thursday 2nd October - all money of which will go to Jeans for Genes.

The idea of Jeans for Genes Day originated in Dorset in the early 1990s by two local brothers who were the inspiration behind a fundraising day which is now one of the best known charity events in the UK.

Mark Allen, the Managing Director of Allen & York, said ‘Allen & York are extremely supportive of this fundraising day and have been for years. We feel a close allegiance to this national event that began in our county and feel proud to target our corporate social responsibility efforts towards genetic research.’

The money raised from Allen & York will help fund care and support for children and their families, as well as research into the causes and cures of genetic disorders that have detrimental effects on the lives of young children. 

Currently there are more than 4,000 recognised genetic disorders, the more well-known being sickle cell anaemia and genetic birth defects such as cleft lips. A baby born every half an hour in the UK will be born with a disorder that will seriously affect their lives and the lives of their families.

‘We take part in raising money for various causes such as Jeans For Genes because the end result is overwhelmingly worthwhile as the funds we raise stretch further than we realise and can really help to change the lives of children and future generations.’ Mark Allen.

One child in every class of school children - 1 in 33 children in the UK – is roughly how many children are born with a genetic disorder. Many of these have no current treatment and more than half of all childhood deaths in the UK are linked to a genetic condition.