By working together with families and patients affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, other charities in the UK and abroad, and expert scientists in the DMD field, we know we can go further and faster in our mission to end Duchenne.
Our charity partners
We collaborate with other charities, community interest companies and support groups working to end Duchenne, as we believe that by working together, we will achieve far more than we could alone. Below are some our key charity partners, but we frequently collaborate with many other charities and support groups in the DMD field.
Joining Jack is a founding charity partner of Duchenne UK. Joining Jack and the Duchenne Children’s Trust came together in 2016 to form Duchenne UK, but the charity continues to exist in its own right and focuses on raising awareness and money for DMD.
The Joining Jack charity was founded in 2012 by Alex and Andy Johnson, after their son Jack, then aged four, was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Andy, a former professional rugby league player with his home town club Wigan, was determined he wasn’t going to take Jack’s diagnosis lying down and, fuelled by Alex’s single-minded determination to find a cure for their son, the couple garnered support from their friends and family and the local sporting communities, and Joining Jack was born.
The Joining Jack salute, where two fingers are linked together to form the initials ‘JJ’, has become a call to arms for a growing army of supporters. Cyclist Bradley Wiggins performed the salute on the podium after winning the Tour de France, and Owen Farrell, captain of the England national rugby team, now celebrates each score with the JJ salute.
Alex’s Wish joined forces with Duchenne UK as a Partner charity in 2016.
Emma and Andy Hallam set up Alex’s Wish after their son, Alex, was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 2010. Alex’s Wish remains a strong and successful fundraising charity, but co-funds Duchenne UK’s research projects and clinical trials.
We joined forced with Duchenne Now in 2017 to jointly fund projects.
Duchenne Now was founded in 2012, as a charity run by parents of children with DMD. Their charity was born out of their desire to ensure transparency, accountability and an ambition that all funded projects had a clear road map to market. Duchenne Now and Duchenne UK share the same dedication in our joint mission to fund and accelerate the search for effective treatments.
Pathfinders Neuromuscular Alliance (formerly DMD Pathfinders) is a charity set up by and for adults with neuromuscular conditions.
Duchenne UK have worked in partnership with Pathfinders Neuromuscular Alliance on multiple projects and campaigns for the benefit of adolescents and adults with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. For example, the Adult Research Campaign to ensure research and treatments can benefit everyone living with DMD, and the accessible housing project, to tackle the challenges faced by disabled young people and adults in finding housing for independent living.
We fund free education support for young people with DMD through our partners, Decipha. Decipha is a Community Interest Company run by Nick Catlin and Janet Hoskin, who have a son living with DMD. Nick and Janet have a wealth of experience in Special Educational Needs (SEN).
Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) are a US-based charity fighting to end Duchenne. They accelerate research, impact policy, demand optimal care for every single family, and strive to ensure access to approved therapies.
Duchenne Research Fund focus on creating powerful collaborations between some of the world’s most brilliant scientists, proactive Duchenne charities, and innovative biotech companies to accelerate the development of therapies that are ripe for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy now.
Duchenne Research Fund have helped us to fund multiple important research projects, as well as co-funding the DMD Care UK project alongside Duchenne UK and Joining Jack.
The DFSG is a UK charity run by families and for families affected by DMD. They help to connect families, run subsidised holidays and organised day trips, and a free helpline for families in need of extra support. We work together with DFSG to improve the support and care families receive.
Muscular Dystrophy UK (MDUK) is a national charity that funds research and support for all muscle-wasting diseases. They bring together more than 60 rare and very rare progressive muscle-weakening and wasting conditions, affecting around 70,000 children and adults in the UK.
We collaborate with MDUK on campaigns to support people living with muscle-wasting conditions and improve access to DMD treatments, and have co-funded DMD research.
Chasing Connor’s Cure was founded shortly after Matthew and Emma Crawford’s son Connor was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The charity’s ambition is to accelerate the search for treatments for this cruel, life-limiting disease.
Chasing Connor’s Cure run fundraising events and campaigns, including the annual Team Connor Sportive, and contribute their funding towards Duchenne UK’s projects and research.
Our Family and Friends Funds provide vital support to Duchenne UK by fundraising for us and helping us to advocate to accelerate research. They share our ambition to fund the most promising research, no matter where it is in the world, and to do so with a vision to help bring that research out of the laboratory and into the clinic where it can help patients.
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