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From BBQs and cake sales to football pledges and birthday fundraising, our supporters have helped make our first-ever Mission Maker Month a huge success – raising more than £30,000 in just 30 days.

Throughout June, we invited people to take on a 30-day challenge and become Mission Makers by choosing their own way to bake, move, host, give or fundraise in support of our work with communities across Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.

The response was beyond anything we could have hoped for. Supporters, volunteers, trustees and our own team came together to show that when people unite around a shared purpose, even small acts of generosity can create a lasting impact.

“Mission Maker Month has shown what’s possible when a community comes together,” said our Chief Executive, Wil Horwood. “Every fundraiser was different, but everybody has mattered. It’s easy to think one small act won’t make a difference, but this campaign has proved the opposite. Hundreds of small acts of generosity have combined to create opportunities that will change lives for years to come.”

Supporters making a difference

Our team got involved too, with Wil, Relationships and Volunteer Manager Jackie Johnston, and Senior Administrator Louise Archer each taking on a ‘30 for 30’ challenge – asking 30 people to donate £30.

All three exceeded their £1,000 fundraising targets. Jackie, who is celebrating her 60th birthday this year, chose to ask friends and family to donate in place of gifts, turning her birthday celebrations into an opportunity to support communities around the world.

Our trustees also embraced the challenge.

Trustee Obi Abuchi, from Frimley in Surrey, raised more than £1,700 through a BBQ fundraiser after seeing our work in Uganda first-hand.

Fellow trustee Chris Knight, from Northamptonshire, hosted a cake afternoon complete with a tombola and Promise Sale. Chris has also experienced our work personally, having helped build a school in rural Cambodia last November.

“I support Mission Direct because I’ve seen what it does,” said Chris. “Short-term trips make a practical difference in some of the world’s neediest communities, and when you’ve been there and seen it yourself, you can’t help but want others to be part of it too.”

Every goal counts

Our Chair, Paul Holbrook, found a football-inspired way to get involved. His challenge was to ask 30 people to pledge at least £2 for every England and Scotland goal during the World Cup, matching every donation pound for pound.

Longstanding volunteer and supporter Susie Ryan, from St Albans, also rallied her own network to support the campaign.

“I love what this small charity does – giving children in some of the world’s poorest communities the chance of an education,” she said. “I was fortunate enough to volunteer with Mission Direct in Zambia and meet children whose lives were being transformed through school. This isn’t about me – it’s about the children and families who need opportunities many of us take for granted.”

Continuing to create opportunities

Since 2004, we have helped support more than 305,000 children through locally led projects across Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. We have contributed to the building of 55 schools and sent more than 600 volunteer teams overseas.

As a charity funded entirely through voluntary giving, we are able to respond flexibly and work alongside local partners to deliver projects shaped by the communities themselves.

With Mission Maker Month now complete, our focus turns to the volunteer teams heading overseas this summer and to preparing for future projects in 2027 and beyond.

“Mission Maker Month may be over for this year, but the work certainly isn’t,” added Wil. “The generosity we’ve seen over the past month will help create opportunities for children and communities for years to come. As we look ahead to future projects and volunteer teams, we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make this campaign such a success.”

Thank you to everyone who baked, moved, hosted, gave, fundraised, shared and prayed during Mission Maker Month. Together, we have shown what can happen when a community comes together with a shared vision.

If you’d like to stay involved with Mission Direct, you can support our work through regular giving, join one of our volunteer trips, or help share the story of what we do.