Medical And Scientific Aid For Vietnam, Laos And Cambodia

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £166,221 (2024)
• Annual Income: £120,454 (2024)
• Geographic Focus: Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia
• Application Method: No public application process - invitation/trustee identification only
• Current Projects: 5 active projects
• Volunteer-Run: 100% volunteer trustees, zero administrative costs

Contact Details

Website: www.msavlc.org

Email: enquiries@msavlc.org

Phone: 01242 516134

Address: Check website for current contact details

Overview

Medical and Scientific Aid for Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia (MSAVLC) is a registered charity established in 1965 and formally registered with the Charity Commission in 1967. For nearly 60 years, the organization has been providing medical and scientific aid, supplies, equipment, and literature to health-related organizations serving some of the poorest and most disadvantaged people in Southeast Asia. The charity operates exclusively through volunteers, with all six trustees working unpaid to ensure every penny raised goes directly to projects. With high-profile support including President Dame Judi Dench DBE, MSAVLC has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds since 1980, focusing particularly on children and those whose lives have been affected by poverty or the aftermath of war. The organization's peak funding year was 1993, when over £115,000 was distributed, much of it for prosthetic limbs for landmine victims.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

MSAVLC does not operate traditional grant programs with application deadlines. Instead, they support ongoing partnerships with organizations identified by trustees during field visits. Funding is project-specific and based on assessed need.

Current Supported Projects:

• New Hope Children's Home (Poi Pet, Cambodia) - supporting children in an impoverished border city
• Disability Development Services Program/DDSP (Cambodia) - one of few Cambodian organizations providing disability services
• All Ears Cambodia - unique medical service established in 2003
• Daughters of Cambodia (Phnom Penh) - addressing sex trafficking
• Vietnamese Association for Victims of Agent Orange/VAVA (Vietnam) - founded 2004, supporting Agent Orange victims

Priority Areas

• Healthcare provision and medical services in rural and underserved areas
• Disability support, particularly for landmine victims and those requiring prosthetic limbs
• Children's welfare, especially vulnerable children affected by poverty
• Victims of war and conflict, including Agent Orange victims
• Rehabilitation centers and long-term care facilities
• Medical equipment and supplies for health organizations
• Poverty alleviation through healthcare access

What They Don't Fund

• Projects outside Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia
• Organizations without established track records (they monitor projects carefully)
• Projects that cannot provide detailed costings, reports, and receipts
• Volunteer placement requests (they cannot arrange these)
• Individual applications unconnected to established organizations

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Governance and Leadership

President: Dame Judi Dench DBE

Vice-Presidents:

• Sir George Howarth MP
• Lord Richard Balfe

Trustees:

• Peter Lidgard - Chairman
• Mary Lidgard RGN - Honorary Secretary
• John Firth - Honorary Treasurer
• Susmita Ghosh - Trustee
• Lynn Firth - Trustee
• Jenny Gold RGN - Trustee

Honorary Advisors:

• Dr. Stewart Benzie - Honorary Scientific Advisor
• Simon Mumford BA - Honorary Legal Advisor

The organization is governed by six trustees who all work as volunteers, receiving no remuneration, payments, or benefits. Trustees make regular visits to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia at their own expense to monitor spending and evaluate projects. This hands-on approach ensures accountability and informed decision-making.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

MSAVLC does not have a public application process. Projects are typically identified by trustees during their regular visits to Southeast Asia. However, organizations working in Vietnam, Laos, or Cambodia who wish to be considered may submit a detailed proposal through the contact email.

If submitting a proposal, trustees require:

• Detailed project description and objectives
• Comprehensive costings and budget breakdown
• Evidence of organizational track record
• Monitoring and evaluation plans
• Commitment to provide regular reports and receipts

All proposals are “assessed thoroughly and discussed fully by the Trustees before a decision is made to support it.” Projects must demonstrate they serve the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the region.

Getting on Their Radar

While MSAVLC does not accept volunteer placement requests or general introductions, organizations may increase visibility by:

• Demonstrating established presence in Vietnam, Laos, or Cambodia serving disadvantaged populations
• Building relationships within the Southeast Asian healthcare and disability services sector where trustees are active
• Submitting detailed proposals via enquiries@msavlc.org that clearly demonstrate alignment with MSAVLC's priorities
• Focusing on medical/healthcare needs particularly for children, disabled people, and war victims

Note: The charity explicitly states they “cannot organise volunteer placements, or make introductions to any of our project partners.”

Decision Timeline

MSAVLC does not publish specific decision timelines. Given that trustees meet to assess proposals and make regular field visits, applicants should expect the process to take several months from initial proposal to decision.

Monitoring and Evaluation

All funded projects are subject to rigorous monitoring:

• Trustees visit projects as often as possible
• Organizations must provide costings, reports, and receipts
• Medical equipment and receipts are checked during visits
• Regular project evaluations are conducted
• Long-term partnerships are maintained with successful projects

Application Success Factors

Based on MSAVLC's stated priorities and approach, organizations most likely to receive funding demonstrate:

Strong Project Management:

• Ability to provide “detailed costings, reports and receipts where appropriate”
• Established organizational capacity and track record
• Clear monitoring and evaluation systems
• Transparency and accountability in financial management

Mission Alignment:

• Focus on “the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people of the region”
• Healthcare or medical service provision
• Support for children, disabled people, or victims of war
• Operating in rural or underserved areas of Vietnam, Laos, or Cambodia

Trustee Engagement:

• Projects that trustees can visit and assess personally
• Organizations willing to work in long-term partnership
• Demonstrated impact that can be evaluated through field visits

Financial Stewardship:

• As a volunteer-run organization, MSAVLC values efficiency
• They appreciate organizations that minimize administrative costs
• Clear demonstration of how funds directly benefit beneficiaries

The organization's history of supporting the same five projects over multiple years suggests they value sustained partnerships with proven organizations rather than one-off grants to new applicants.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No open application process: MSAVLC identifies projects through trustee field visits; unsolicited applications have limited success
• Long-term partnerships preferred: Current portfolio shows sustained support for the same five organizations
• Rigorous monitoring required: Be prepared for trustee visits, detailed reporting, and receipt verification
• Volunteer ethos matters: Demonstrate low overhead costs and maximum impact per pound spent
• Geographic specificity: Only projects in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia are considered
• Medical/healthcare focus: Projects must relate to health promotion or relieving sickness
• Vulnerable populations: Strongest alignment with children, disabled people, and war victims
• Patience required: Decision-making involves trustee field visits and thorough assessment

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The Sir Bobby Charlton Foundation
• Christadelphian Meal A Day Fund
• Blackfriars Overseas Aid Trust
• The Breadsticks Foundation
• T. & J. Meyer Family Foundation Limited
• The Monsoon Accessorize Trust
• ENFIELD LIONS CLUB (CIO)
• James Percy Foundation
• Tanzania Development Trust
• THE PETER STEBBINGS MEMORIAL CHARITY

References

• MSAVLC Official Website: https://msavlc.org/
• MSAVLC About Us: https://msavlc.org/about-us/
• MSAVLC Our Work: https://msavlc.org/about-us/our-work/
• MSAVLC Current Projects: https://msavlc.org/about-us/current-projects/
• MSAVLC The People: https://msavlc.org/about-us/sub-page/
• MSAVLC History: https://msavlc.org/about-us/another-sub-oage/
• Charity Commission Register - Charity Number 252906: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=252906&subid=0
• Vietnam+ News: “Vietnam honours UK-based Medical Aid” (2011): https://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnam-honours-ukbased-medical-aid/20813.vnp