Welcome to Improving Chances, a non-denominational registered charity which supports mothers and babies in Fort Portal and the nearby Mwenge County in Uganda where 1 in 200 women dies needlessly in childbirth because of a lack of adequate medical care. In addition to a maternal mortality rate that is 50 times that of the UK, the number of babies who die or are severely injured during birth is equally high.

When women have problems in pregnancy or labour and need hospital care, they must somehow get to one of the government hospitals in a distant town centre, or to Virika Hospital in Fort Portal. They rely on friends and neighbours to carry them, often many miles, to the main Kampala to Fort Portal road, where they wait - and wait - for public transport. Inevitably, some die before they get to hospital. Others die in childbirth or soon afterwards. All too often their babies die too, or are born with severe disabilities.

Improving Chances was formed to help these mothers and babies by supporting health and education services, and enabling the development of the local economy.

We aim to raise £50,000 over the next three years, none of which will be spent on overheads or expenses. All money raised will be used to support the following two specific projects in Uganda:

• the growth and development of a maternity and children's hospital  in the Kyenjojo District of Western Uganda. The hospital is providing a much needed service for the local community but it lacks some basic facilities. For example, we want to ensure that it can be connected to a main water supply, rainwater collection being ecologically sound but unreliable
• community outreach for the many children isolated in distant villages who desperately need help to learn even the simplest skills but are unable to reach the Good Shepherd school in Fort Portal.

We also want to explore ways of supporting local finance initiatives that may help families to help themselves.

The charity was set up by three senior NHS professionals, all of whom work or have worked in hospitals in the UK, where pregnant women, new born babies and children with special needs receive the best of care.

Please help us to help the women and children of Fort Portal and the Kyenjojo District by supporting Improving Chances in any way you can.