MAD4Kids Charity is Helping Local Children in Need of Essentials

The charity is providing push chairs, beds, and other essentials to Cardiff children by Kellie Williams

MAD4Kids is a Cardiff based local charity that aims to ‘make a difference to children’s lives.’

The charity was set up by founder and chair, Sharon Vaughan and Gareth Vaughan who run the charity alongside four other volunteers including their son Alex Vaughan and daughter Jodie Jay.

The family charity is also lucky to receive the support and helping hand from two friends Rob Wilson and Ceridwen Wilson.

The project has been running for three years to help thousands of children across the globe in the capital city of Zambia, Lusaka to help relieve poverty and advance the local children’s education.

So why Zambia? Sharon said, “We visited Zambia and realised the school we saw was doing a great job providing education to orphans and vulnerable children and we wanted to help.” The wonderful charity based in Cyncoed has helped the children in Lusaka by providing them with clothing, school clothing, shoes, and an education for children in years one to seven.

The charity also pays the salary of four teachers to help run the school and has set up a ‘hot meal a day’ programme to ensure each child receives the necessary nutrition.

Sharon said, “We have visited Zambia twice and hope to do so again soon, to visit a small rural school that we have helped by building a teacher’s house, refurbishing a classroom and even more importantly, putting in a fresh water supply.”

The Cardiff Project

Now, the Cardiff based charity is looking closer to home and has launched a project on its home turf.

disadvantaged children by providing musical instruments, push chairs, beds, and a range of essentials a child or parent may need for their baby. A great support to parents who are struggling financially.

Sharon said, “We started to realise more recently that in our home city of Cardiff many children are disadvantaged, so we wanted to help in a small way to make a difference to their lives.”

The charity works on a “nomination basis” where social workers will communicate with MAD4Kids that a family needs a certain item, the charity will then seek donations from supporters and further collect and deliver the item to the family in need. A cycle of goodwill.

Sharon said, “Our aim is to provide nearly new, pre-loved items that will ‘Make A Difference’ to the lives of children in Cardiff and the surrounding areas by becoming the conduit between a child (and their parents) who have a need and those who have something they no longer need and are willing to pass it on.”

The charity works on an item-by-item basis and does not store goods in their work-from-home set up in Cyncoed.

To contact the charity, email Sharon on info@MAD4kids.org.uk