BRITAIN’S LONGEST JUMPER IN BRITAIN’S LONGEST CHRISTMAS JUMPER

Save the Children, 10th December 2019 

Britain’s world record holding Olympic long jumper Greg Rutherford wears Britain’s longest jumper (measuring the same as his record 8.51m jump!).

Greg was joined by pupils from Honeywell Infant & Junior School in Wandsworth, London, as they prepare to celebrate Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day on Friday 13th December.

Greg Rutherford said: “I’m proud to be here today as Britain’s longest jumper in Britain’s longest jumper. I have to admit, after retiring I thought my world record breaking days were over, but as a supporter of Save the Children and a big fan of their Christmas Jumper Day fundraising campaign, I jumped at the chance to take part.

“It’s great to be joined in all this festive fun by pupils from Honeywell Infant & Junior School who are gearing up for Christmas Jumper Day on Friday 13th December. It’s not too late to join the millions of people across the UK who will be taking part. Simply stick on a Christmas jumper, sign up and donate £2 if you’re an adult or £1 if you’re a kid at christmasjumperday.org, and you can help Save the Children give the world’s forgotten children the chance to have a brighter future.”

The world’s longest jumper was created by Jane Gois from Tea and Crafting. It required 2,878 stitches and 19kg of wool to make. Jane and her team knitted the jumper using only their arms and hands for a total of 15 hours. During that time they managed to listen to more than 10 hours of Christmas songs and only dropped one stitch!

Save the Children’s eighth annual Christmas Jumper Day is taking place on Friday 13th December. Flashing, festive knits will be sweeping the nation once again with schools, offices, homes, dogs, celebrities and football teams ditching their day-to-day dress and donning their daftest, most wonderful woollies for the annual fundraiser. Since its launch in 2012, Christmas Jumper Day has raised a whopping £21million to help the charity build a better future for children in the UK and around the world.

From knits festooned in jingling bells to jumpers covered in lights, Save the Children is expecting over 5 million people across the UK to take part in the biggest, silliest Christmas Jumper Day ever. Simply by sticking on a fabulously festive knit, signing up and donating £2 to Save the Children at christmasjumperday.org, you will be helping to give the world’s forgotten children the chance to have a brighter future.

All money raised through this wacky woolly-wearing could help give a child living in a refugee camp  clothes to keep them warm through winter, help us buy nutritious food for their entire family, or set up a safe space to give children the chance to be children again. It could also help us bring essentials like healthcare, education, protection and food to the millions of children around the world who are missing out on the most basic support.

Help us make it the biggest, most jingly and joyful Christmas Jumper Day ever #christmasjumperday

Notes to Editors

For more information and to sign up, visit - christmasjumperday.org

For Facebook visit – facebook.com/christmasjumperday

For Twitter visit - @savechildrenuk #christmasjumperday

For press enquiries please contact:

Dundas Communications – Olivia Francis / olivia@dundascommunications.com / 020 7233 6425 

Save the Children – media@savethechildren.org.uk / 020 7012 6841

About Save the Children:

We do whatever it takes to save children. From their first moments of life, we work to get children the healthcare, food and water, safety and education they need to survive and thrive.  We're on the ground in 120 countries and we’re there for children in their toughest moments, in the toughest places. Our pioneering work helps give children, no matter where they’re born, the chance to fulfil their potential. For more information visit www.savethechildren.org.uk