Magnus started his career as a Salmon farmer in rural Argyll, but when the Balkan conflict began, he and his brother were so moved by the scenes on television that they gathered a jeep-load of aid and joined a convoy travelling to Bosnia to distribute it. On his return home, Magnus expected to resume his job, however, he came back to discover that the public had carried on donating and instead he continued organising and distributing aid. In 2002 his work led him to Malawi, where he met a family whose situation would alter the course of his work, and Mary's Meals was born.