MAD-Aid (Make A Difference, Medical Aid Delivered) is a UK-based registered charity which does work on the Isle of Wight, within the UK, and in Eastern Europe - and has helped to change thousands of lives since it was established in 2012.

On the Isle of Wight, MAD-Aid runs the MAD-Aid DOT community room in East Cowes, which hosts a range of activities and events for the local community - and this fully-accessible ground floor venue is also available for hire.

MAD-Aid is also working on forming links with other organisations within the Isle of Wight community, including medical and disability charities.

On the Isle of Wight and across the UK, MAD-Aid has traditionally run an innovative medical aid service, whereby it has collected decommissioned medical equipment from hospitals and other healthcare settings and delivers it to those who need it in Eastern Europe, primarily Moldova.

This is a WIN-WIN-WIN situation, because it saves UK healthcare organisations thousands of pounds which would have otherwise been spent on disposal costs; prevents usable equipment going into landfill (thereby saving the UK environment) AND benefits the Eastern European recipients, who have good quality medical equipment for years to come.

Part of this work involves the collection of wheelchairs, mobility scooters and other mobility aids, because there are many children with special needs in Moldova who are housebound and socially isolated, simply because they don’t have a wheelchair to enable them to go outside or get to school – but MAD-Aid strives to provide as many wheelchairs as possible to youngsters who need them. Walkers and other mobility aids are given to elderly people in need too.

Since 2012, MAD-Aid, has helped to re-equip 39 Moldovan hospitals or healthcare centres, as well as two in Romania, three in the Ukraine, and a few projects in other countries. In the past, decommissioned medical equipment from the UK has also been used in these projects.

At the moment, MAD-Aid is renovating a unit in the Mother and Child Institute, which is the main children’s hospital in the Moldovan capital of Chisinau. It had not been upgraded since 1986, but helps to save - or radically improve - the lives of around 2,000 children with birth defects or complex health problems per year.

In 2015, MAD-Aid opened the Phoenix Centre for children with special needs in northern Moldova, and the charity has since added early intervention services, plus a cutting-edge care home for the elderly AND a hydrotherapy pool – all of which provide vital services for local people.

MAD-Aid was also instrumental in getting almost £2.5million of medical and humanitarian aid to the Moldova/Ukraine border following the outbreak of the Ukraine war in February 2022. MAD-Aid welcomed refugees into its Moldovan centres AND helped Ukrainian refugees on the Isle of Wight, where the charity’s UK headquarters is based.

MAD-Aid is a little known charity, but all the services the charity provides come at a cost – so I am asking you to help by sponsoring me on this epic challenge!

WHAT AM I DOING?

To raise money for MAD-Aid, I am taking part in the 2024 Isle of Wight Ultra Challenge on May 4 and 5, which will see me run/jog/walk 106km (approx 66 miles) around the Island's coastline over two days.

I will be covering approximately 52km (32 miles) and 900m in elevation on day one, and around 54km (33.5miles) and 900m in elevation on day two!

It's a tough task (but some MAD person has got to do it!).

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.