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MAD – The Make A Difference Trust is a UK based charity with a vision of a world free from HIV and AIDS. Building on a legacy of over 25 years of fundraising by the theatre industry, The Make A Difference Trust raises funds for HIV and AIDS projects that build awareness and provide care, support and education in the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Make A Difference Trust, trading as TheatreMAD, also known as MAD Trust, is the ongoing response by the UK theatre industry to HIV and AIDS.
The charity was founded in 2008 by David Pendlebury, together with Melanie Tranter and Julian Bird, and was initially known as West End Cares & subsequently Theatrecares.
It was set up to continue the vital fundraising and grant making work undertaken by the theatre industry & its supporters.
In New York, in February 1988, Broadway Cares merged with Equity Fights AIDS to coordinate the fundraising and support from the Broadway and American Theatre community.
In a similar vein, West End Cares was established in 1990 by Bob West and David Kernan together with Geoffrey Henning under the aegis of Crusaid, to focus, and coordinate the fundraising by the UK and West End Theatre community and its supporters.
West End Cares staged Late Night Cabarets, Midnight Matinee performances of West End shows, and initiated the annual World AIDS Day Theatre Bucket Collections to raise funds to support friends, colleagues and the wider community affected by HIV and AIDS.
The initial impact of the virus on the industry and the wider community was devastating.
All funds raised went to the Crusaid Hardship Fund, primarily paying for palliative care and funerals, but as medications and treatments were discovered, funds were later used to support those living with the virus.
Until 2000, West End Cares focused its efforts on fundraising and raising awareness.
However, with the arrival, and massive fundraising efforts of Disney’s The Lion King in the West End, the WEC committee took the decision to support several Projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. Projects that focused on education, fighting poverty, testing, and treatment.
Now supporting UK and overseas projects, West End Cares had become a voluntary fundraising & grant making organization, and in 2002 West End Cares changed its name to Theatrecares to reflect its nationwide appeal.
Bucket collections, Late Night Cabarets and A West End Christmas continued to raise much-needed funds for the increasing portfolio of projects.
With years of research and the development and the advancement of effective medications HIV and AIDS were considered by many to no longer be an issue.
However, rising rates of infection and continued stigma, prejudice, discrimination and fear meant that the need for support in communities all over the UK and the world was as important as ever.
As a direct response, The Make A Difference Trust (trading as TheatreMAD) was founded in 2008, establishing the first official stand-alone Charity to coordinate the theatre community’s fundraising and grant making for HIV and AIDS.
In recognition of the theatre industry’s long term fundraising efforts, MAD set up The Make A Difference Trust Hardship Fund to support people in the theatre industry affected by long term chronic illness.
A host of fundraising events, including Bucket Collections, Late Night Cabarets, West End Eurovision, West End Bares and A West End Christmas continue to raise funds for projects both in the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa.
MAD Trust’s philosophy is all about community making a difference: namely the theatre community, working together, using their skills and talents, to help other communities living with, or affected by HIV and AIDS.
Check out MAD’s page “How to get involved” which outlines ways you can help them make a difference, either through donations or active fundraising for them.
The information in this article is taken fully from the MAD website, to support their amazing effort in the best way and share their info accurately, first hand.
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Liam Klenk was born in Central Europe and has since lived on four continents. Liam has always been engaged in creative pursuits, ranging from photography and graphic design, to writing short stories and poetry, to working in theatre and shows. In 2016, Liam published his first book and memoir, 'Paralian'.
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