From the desk of Penelope Alice, Britain’s most fabulous PA: Jeans for Genes Day launch party

There’s nothing better than a great pair of jeans – other than the opportunity to show them off, of course. Most of my fellow PAs will be familiar with Jeans for Genes Day, the annual event that raises vital funds to help children born with genetic disorders. Last night was the launch party and yours truly was invited to attend, along with a few famous faces.

The event was held at nightclub Chinawhite, a favourite celebrity haunt, off Oxford Street. To mimic the colour of denim, the carpet that greeted guests was blue and made me feel like a real VIP. Inside, the music pounded out a beat to rival the din of conversation.

My first cocktail featured an interesting mix of fresh passion fruit and red chillies, while later on I tried something that tasted of lemon with an added kick of what might have been vodka (sadly, it was too loud to understand what the bartender told me). I sampled some of the canapés, which included smoked salmon blinis, satay chicken skewers and an unusual combination of figs and Stilton. All I can say to that is “yum”.

I’m not entirely au fait with reality TV, but I did recognise some of the cast members from Made in Chelsea and The Only Way is Essex, as well as X Factor runner-up Nicholas McDonald. At some point I realised I was standing next to Warwick Davis, of Life’s Too Short and Star Wars fame.

Mingling with celebrities wasn’t the main idea behind the night, however. It was all about bringing attention to Jeans for Genes Day, an annual event that encourages office workers to don their denim in exchange for donations that help children and families affected by genetic disorders. This year’s date is Friday, 19 September. I’ve already got my fundraising kit – get yours at jeansforgenesday.org.

This blog originally appeared on the PA Life Club site. To read more of Penelope Alice’s blog entries and get access to a range of fantastic benefits, including discounts and special deals at dozens of selected retailers and venues, as well as exclusive monthly competitions, networking events and 50% off PA Life’s new training courses, click here: palife.co.uk/pa-life-club