James Clegg

Operation Hoodie is described by chairman and founder James Clegg as a spontaneous idea that grew far beyond even his most audacious hopes. Launched in November 2007, Operation Hoodie is a social enterprise raising funds and awareness for Cancer Research UK.

“I must crave work,” James confesses, “because I don’t leave myself time to breathe!” A full time student, social entrepreneur and cricket captain, James proves that passion and energy are two of the main keys to success.

Operation Hoodie was inspired by James’ friend Lee Doughty’s courageous battle against cancer. James knew he wanted to do something innovative and positive in Lee’s memory, and Operation Hoodie grew from countless conversations online and in person as James searched for an appropriate tribute.

James Clegg and Vice-President James Vause came up with the idea of involving their supporters in every stage of the campaign, and used Myspace and Facebook to raise the organisation’s profile. “Our Facebook group has been our main marketing tool, and we have over 5,300 members,” James Clegg says. In fact, the name Operation Hoodie was suggested by one of the campaign’s online supporters. This strong link with its campaigners is one of the factors behind Operation Hoodie’s success.

Operation Hoodie’s flagship activity involves lending out five “travelling” hoodies and building an ever-expanding photo gallery of their wearers, including celebrities from the world of sport such as Peter Crouch. Now, visitors to www.operationhoodie.co.uk can purchase their own hoodie to show their support for the campaign, with all proceeds going to Cancer Research.

James admits that shortage of time has been one of the biggest challenges, but with the help of a team of 15 volunteers, Operation Hoodie has continued to grow. In under a year the project raised £10,000 for Cancer Research, and James is confident they can raise even more.

James stresses the importance of working in partnership for all entrepreneurs. “Bounce your idea off a close friend, preferably a motivational individual, who will give you honest feedback and inspire you to follow your dream.”

Find out more at www.operationhoodie.co.uk