Martyn and Gaynor Dunsford were foster carers for many years and Martyn had been ministering in Romania both before and after the end of Communism. When the desperate plight of the children in those terrible orphanages emerged it was natural that there would be a desire to help them. Martyn began to seek God as to what we would do and God's word came, "you can at least cry for them", and many of us did just that!

Martyn and John Horsewood, together with some other caring professionals, founded CRY in 1992, and after some initial aid provision there was an invitation by the Bucharest City Authorities to help with their street children situation. So our first main project was to renovate a derelict building to provide a home for these street kids. With no experience of fund raising or working in this way before we undertook a huge task. Starting in 1994 we gradually raised £225,000, had dangerously exciting lessons to learn about working in another culture, but eventually opened 'Casa Robin Hood Children's Home' in 1997.

Initially we had no plans to work anywhere else, but when the war in Kosovo broke out in 1999 thousands of refugees ended up in Elbasan, where we had connections. Responding to requests for help we raised £70,000 in a few months and sent 120 tonnes of humanitarian aid for these Kosovan refugees. Soon other work started in , and , and the work of CRY began to expand. Down through the years CRY has worked in around 20 different countries, and over the last few years has donated around £250,000 per annum directly to various projects.

CRY was founded by MARTYN DUNSFORD (church pastor), Christian business people and other Christians working at a senior level in the caring professions.