We owe our origins to a journalist from The Observer who, in 1993, was investigating the possibility that Microphthalmia, Anophthalmia, and Coloboma, were caused by pesticides (scientific proof of this has not been found). Through his research, he brought together a group of parents and MACS was born.
The parents of these MACS children had little or no access to information or support and most had never met another family whose child was affected - a lonely and overwhelming situation for any parent or adult born with MACS conditions.
A year later, MACS became a charity and we have not looked back! Thanks to the many dedicated parents and MACS adults who have volunteered their time and energy over the years, MACS is now a key source of information and support for hundreds of households across the UK and worldwide.
All of the charity’s Trustees are parents of a MACS child, or have a MACS condition themselves. As such, they have a clear insight into how our members can be helped to cope with life as blind or partially sighted people.
If you'd like to learn more about our history, you may be interested to see the timeline of how far we've come on pages 12-19 in our 30th anniversary Focus magazine here.
Becoming a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
On 10th August 1994, MACS became a registered charity (Charity Number 1040074). Since then, it has grown significantly, building a membership base of over 3,000 people across the UK and developing a variety of effective support services and activities.
In 2014, members approved the proposal to convert to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). On 29th May 2015, MACS became a registered CIO (Charity Number 1161897), with all assets transferred from the old charity to the new one on 30th June 2015. This conversion allowed MACS to become a legal entity, providing greater protection for Trustees and Members. Despite the change in charity number, our mission remains consistent, continuing to support our members.
MACS is the UK's only charity specifically supporting children and adults born with Microphthalmia (small, underdeveloped eyes), Anophthalmia (absence of eyes), or Coloboma (cleft in the eyes). These conditions collectively account for approximately 25% of all childhood blindness. Our goal is to offer essential practical and emotional support to MACS families throughout the UK.
Our constitutional objectives are:
- To relieve individuals suffering from Microphthalmia, Anophthalmia, and/or Coloboma conditions and to support these individuals and their families.
- To advance public education concerning Microphthalmia, Anophthalmia, and/or Coloboma conditions.
While the charitable objectives remain the same, MACS’ Theory of Change underwent a review in 2023 and our outcomes have subsequently been refreshed. You can find more information on this here.