A NEW FUNDRAISING initiative is being launched today which hopes to turn unwanted jewellery into much needed funds for cancer research.

The non-profit organisation, “Jewels For Cures“, is behind the initiative which is asking for members of the public to donate unwanted and broken gold jewellery, along with any precious gems.

Donated gold is set to be melted down and used to create a Brian Boru Millennium Crown in time for the celebrations in 2014 to mark the Battle of Clontarf. Once created, it is hoped that the piece will be publicly displayed  in the National Museum of Ireland, before being sold.

Funds from this, along with the monies generated from the auctioning off of donated jewels, are set to go to Professor John Crown’s Cancer Clinical Research Trust.

The organisations director, Alison McCormick, says that donating will have two benefits, helping them to “raise vital funds for cancer research and celebrate one of the most iconic figures in Irish history.”

The first donation – gold cufflinks – has already been made by Connor O’Brien, a descendant of Brian Boru.

Read: Shatter publishes probe into Cash for Gold shops >

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