MAD was started 10 years ago with the aim of making a difference to vulnerable children (especially girls) at risk in Kampala, but also making a difference to our community in South Bucks.

The idea came from our founder, Janet, when celebrating her silver wedding anniversary. Rather than take a cruise or have a party, she and her husband Steve decided to take their children and visit Kampala to support a project helping in a children's home.

Spending two weeks playing, encouraging, helping with reading and making music, they immediately saw the tremendous difference they could make with more money and more volunteers. But she also realised the impact this kind of work could have on those back home who got involved.

And so MAD was born with the dual purpose of strengthening our local community here in Bucks while working together to change the lives of children at risk in Uganda.

Coming home and sharing the story, Janet and Steve found willing volunteers in Wendy (who remains Chair to this day), Richard who provides legal and general management advice and Ruth as chief fund-raiser. The group set up MAD as a charity and raised £5,000 in the first few weeks. The team decided to work with and through CRANE - a non-profit with existing infrastructure and multiple projects going on to help children at risk in Uganda.

Over time, the network has strengthened and MAD has sent multiple teams from Bucks over to Kampala to help with health and education initiatives. We've also started a farm which helps train young people in agricultural work as well as providing funds to support other projects. MAD also provides funds raised through activities in Bucks to CRANE directly.

The goal is to create sustainable projects - for example bringing girls back into education and then seeing them become teachers themselves or training and creating peer educators in the local community on maternal health issues so that they can help expectant and new mums.

In our first 10 years we have raised £253,420 and all of it has gone to support the projects in Uganda. 

MAD's ethos is based on the idea of living generously. Through helping others, you can enrich your own life, making a difference to all who choose to get involved.