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The History of The Genesis Appeal

May 1996

The official launch of The Genesis Appeal is held at Mere Golf and Country Club. Celebrities at the launch include John Leslie, Susie Mathis, Saracen, Diane Modahl (Patron of the charity) and Wayne Fontana.
The initial aim of the Appeal was to raise funds for breast cancer research projects in North West hospitals.

1997 - 1999

During this period The Genesis Appeal continues to sponsor research in clinical genetics. It provided funds for the development of new scanning techniques at the Nightingale Centre and for the development of a new test, which could predict the severity of the disease.

In June 1997 the "The Genesis National Hereditary Breast Cancer Helpline" is established.

2000

A new fundraising initiative to build "Europe's First Purpose Built Breast Cancer Prevention Centre" is launched.
The centre will be headed by Professor Tony Howell the UK's first Professor of Cancer Prevention and supported by a team of internationally recognised experts including Gareth Evans, Professor of Clinical Genetics and Nigel Bundred, Professor of Surgery.

2001 - 2004

In 2001 - A donation of £50,000 enables the Appeal to establish a temporary prevention centre at Withington Hospital, close to the Nightingale Centre.

Dr Michelle Harvie, the only research dietician in the country specialising in breast cancer prevention is funded by The Genesis Appeal.

We are chosen as Manchester City Football Club's national charity of the season and launch two thousand balloons to celebrate the first game played at the City of Manchester Stadium. Each balloon signifies one of the 2,000 women in the Greater Manchester area who will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

November 2003 - The Genesis Appeal reaches its one million-pound milestone and celebrates with a visit to the Nightingale Centre by Cherie Booth QC who is an honorary patron of the Appeal. Ms Booth said, "The Genesis Appeal aims to create a future without breast cancer. I genuinely believe that through sustained effort and support this dream can become a reality."

In 2004, Diane Modahl takes part in "I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here" and raises over £76,000.

2005

March 2005 - The Strategic Health Authority agree to pledge £12.5 million for the building of the centre and architects Gilling Dod are commissioned to design the centre with Laing O'Rourke appointed as the construction engineers.

April 2005 - Dr Michelle Harvie is awarded the Rose Simmonds Memorial Award for establishing the danger of weight gain among women breast cancer patients.

Agreement is reached with Rodale Publishers who will publish in spring 2006 "The Genesis Diet and Lifestyle Book", being written by Dr Harvie.

July 2005 - The Genesis Rose is launched at the Royal Horticultural Society Show at Tatton Park.
August 2005 - The foundations for the building began with the clearing of the site.

29 September 2005 - A ceremonial turf cutting ceremony is held at the site of the Breast Cancer Prevention Centre with Diane Modahl patron and fundraiser cutting the turf.

2006

Dr Michelle Harvie's "Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention Diet", book is published.

2007

The Appeal successfully raises the £2 million it originally pledged and the new centre opens in August 2007. An official Opening Ceremony marks the occasion, where the Genesis Team and its supporters break the Guinness World Record for the longest ribbon cutting.

2008

With one in ten women in the UK affected by breast cancer, the charity launches its new campaign asking supporters to “Join the fight to make the 1 in 10, none in 10”.

Fundraising is focused on creating a future without breast cancer by supporting the people, projects and research teams who are based at the Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention Centre.

2009 - Onwards

Continual funding is essential to support our vital research into the prevention and early diagnosis of breast cancer. Genesis funded research projects include:-

DIET & LIFESTYLE

The Genesis Appeal continues to support research into breast cancer and the links with diet and lifestyle. Work is being carried out at the Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention Centre by Dr Michelle Harvie and Professor Tony Howell. They have helped to establish the link between the rise of breast cancer in the UK with the rise of obesity, which in turn has helped shape government policy on tackling obesity. They are now working on a Breast Cancer Prevention Diet that could help reverse the trend.

PROCAS STUDY - Predicting the Risk of Cancer at Screening

Genesis Professor, Gareth Evans is heading a major new national study with a £1.59 million grant from the Department of Health. This unique study will recruit 60,000 women from the Greater Manchester area over a 3-year period. Women aged 50-74, who are part of the Greater Manchester Breast Screening Programme, will be invited to join. The study aims to predict breast cancer risk amongst women in the NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) by using information from:

Mammographic breast density
Risk information questionnaire
DNA from saliva samples of 10,000 women

All women will then be given the option of receiving information about their risk of breast cancer. The long term aim would be to use this risk information to alter the mammographic screening interval in the future, based on the individual's risk of developing breast cancer.

The Genesis Appeal is funding Saliva Kits, which will be used to extract the DNA from 10,000 of the 60,000 women recruited for the study. The charity is also funding the Software required to process the results.

PARABENS

Parabens are a group of chemicals widely used in the cosmetic and food industries. Research by a Genesis research fellow has found these chemicals to be present in human breast tissue. We are now conducting research to see whether the mild oestrogenic effect of such chemicals might be linked to breast cancer, to check the safety of deodorants, and to see what other chemicals might be present.

IBIS

Professor Tony Howell is heading the International Breast Intervention Study (IBIS), the largest randomised trial in breast cancer prevention ever conducted. This important study is investigating women whose family history would suggest that they are at a high risk of developing the disease. It is researching whether the use of hormone tablets are a way to reduce risk and therefore of avoiding surgery.

DCIS

The Genesis Prevention Centre has run several studies on preinvasive cancer (DCIS), finding for example that computer aided diagnosis can improve detection from routine mammograms. Professor Bundred is Chief Investigator on several national and international DCIS studies, looking at how to ‘switch off’ the progression to cancer.