Everything you need to know about the pack-away travel bag

With every bag purchased at Madlug, a pack-away travel bag goes to a child in care – but what do we mean when we say that?

Here are some quick FAQs about the pack-away travel bag.

Why are pack-away travel bags needed?

In 2015, our founder Dave Linton was deeply moved by hearing the accounts of young people in care being forced to carry their possessions in black bin bags when moving between placements. This can happen because of necessity or a lack of available resources, the end result is that the child in question can feel devalued, as if their needs are unseen or unheard.

According to the National Youth Advocacy Service, 4 in 5 children in care reported that their belongings were packed in bin bags when they were moved between placements.

Dave was inspired to help solve this problem and started Madlug, which stands for ‘Make A Difference Luggage’. The Buy One, Help One, Wear One model ensures that with every Madlug bag purchased a pack-away travel bag goes to a child in care.

What is a ‘pack-away travel bag’?

We are regularly asked what exactly we mean when we say that for every Madlug bag that is purchased we gift “a bag” to a young person. Madlug doesn’t follow the typical “buy one, give one” model by giving the same bag someone purchases - such as a roll top or classic backpack - to children in care. Instead, we provide a specially designed pack-away travel bag, created to meet the unique needs of children in the care system. After speaking with care-experienced young people about their wants and needs, we designed a bag which meets the following criteria:

1. In order to prevent embarrassment and stigma for the young person, the bag should not be branded on the outside.

2. It should be small enough to fold up into a sock drawer or a social worker’s car boot.

3. It needs to fold out large enough to be able to carry all of the young person’s possessions however not too big that it discourages a child or young person with few belongings.

Madlug’s pack-away travel bag is a 35 litre duffel bag. It folds up into a small pouch that resembles a packable waterproof jacket. Printed on the front is ‘You are incredible’ and ‘Value | Worth | Dignity’. This reinforces to children in care that we see them and love them. The bags have strong straps, mesh side pockets and a lightweight fabric which is water resistant – an ideal bag for transporting belongings.

Due to the neat and small design of the pack-away bags, Madlug is able to send off significant numbers of these bags throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland.

How and where are the bags distributed?

In simple terms, the process is that Trusts, Local Authorities, Hospitals and even individual foster parents will get in touch with us. We liaise with them to determine their specific needs and then ship out the bags either as a one-time batch or in instalments as and when they are needed.

How many bags have been given?

To date we have given over 110,000 bags to children and young people in care. 

There is much more to be done. There are currently 107,000 children in the care system across the UK, with one child entering care every 15 minutes.

How can you get involved?

We would like to invite you to join the Madlug movement. There are several simple ways in which you can help, and by doing so you can help us to make a real difference to the lives of young people in care:

1. Buy a bag – if you need a bag for yourself, friends, colleagues, clients or staff please browse the range of products that we offer, the purchase of which directly supports young people in need.

2. Gift a pack-away travel bag – you can give a one off pack-away travel bag. This is a small act of kindness that is greatly appreciated, particularly by the young person whose life it impacts. You can do this yourself or on behalf of a friend or relative.

3. Subscribe to giving monthly – join our subscription service and give one bag a month.

4. Share the Madlug story with your friends, family or colleagues - word of mouth and social media posts help us. By using your voice, you give others a voice.

Madlug exists because no child should carry their life in a bin bag. Together we can prevent this from happening. Thank you for your support.