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MACS

Our vision is of a world where all people affected by MACS conditions enjoy the same opportunities as everyone else.

About MACS


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This year, 90 families in the UK will be told their babies have no eyes, small eyes, or a cleft in the eye. They may feel hopeless and alone - but they are not alone and there is hope.

MACS is the national charity for children born without eyes or with underdeveloped eyes. We help over 2500 people across the UK, supporting them at each stage of their journey by providing peer support, practical help and opportunities to take part in life-changing activity trips.

MACS is here to support our members at each stage of their journey. We provide:

-Emotional support through our helpline and Facebook support group.
- Financial assistance by giving our members grants or subsidising family holidays in our 3 caravans.
- Peer support and building connections through our national and regional social events – the biggest of which is our annual Family Weekend.
- Confidence building for our children and young people by providing heavily subsidised activity holidays on both land and sea.
- Funding for research into MACS conditions.

65% of families with disabled children report feeling isolated frequently or constantly (cafamily, 2011). But MACS makes 89% of parents with children affected by MACS conditions feel less alone in difficult times, and helps 91% of them to cope with their child's condition. In workshops, members told us that it was our annual Family Weekend which had the biggest impact, and 81% of attendees told us that they’d made lasting connections at our 2017 Family Weekend.

We know that visually impaired children are more likely to live in homes that struggle financially (NatCen 2014). In 2016, we provided 60 families with subsidised, accessible caravan holidays, and gave grants for equipment and experiences such as braillers, play equipment, and swimming lessons. 95% of recipients said a MACS grant enabled them to do something they wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to do. 78% of MACS parents who used the caravans said they allowed their family to go on holidays which they would otherwise be unable to afford.

77% of disabled young people report difficulties in building friendships (Sense, 2015), and 70% of MACS parents say their child’s confidence is affected by their condition. So we provided adventurous activity and sailing experiences to 45 young people in 2016. 93% of parents said MACS sailing and adventurous activity breaks had improved their child’s confidence and helped them build friendships.