Founded by Mary Sumner in 1876, Mothers' Union is a Christian organisation with more than 3.6 million members in 81 countries worldwide. The backbone of Mothers' Union is its worldwide network of grassroots volunteers. Whatever their individual backgrounds, members are united in their commitment to supporting marriage and family life. They give their time to generously help others, whether by running local projects, supporting international campaigns, or fundraising.

Mothers' Union also employs over 300 paid workers around the world. These are women drawn from the local area, so they speak the local language, understand the culture and customs, and have first-hand experience of the problems their neighbours face. Mothers' Union workers provide vital leadership for efforts in the community. They enable people to gain essential skills, develop and encourage sustainable self-help projects, and run training seminars for local Mothers' Union members and the wider community.

Workers also run an acclaimed Literacy and Development Programme in Malawi, Sudan and Burundi. This programme enables learners to become literate and numerate as well as gaining skills in health, hygiene, dealing with HIV/AIDS and poverty alleviation.

Mothers' Union is also involved in campaigning and lobbying on a number of worldwide issues such as parental rights, international debt relief and child poverty. We are happy to be working in partnership with various organisations, including the United Nations and other ecumenical groups.

For more information about all aspects of Mothers' Union see www.themothersunion.org