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Vision
To see a society free from health inequalities.
Mission
CDHN's mission is to end health inequalities using a community development approach. By this we mean campaigning, influencing policy and developing best practice work which shows that communities, both geographical and of interest & identity, can define their own health needs and design and implement preventative and radical solutions.
Values
We believe that health is a human right.
We believe that our health is affected by more than access to health services, individual lifestyle choices and our own genetic make-up. These other factors can include poverty, the environment, education, living and working conditions, housing, access to food and social and community networks.
When we work collectively in community development approach we make the connection between all of these factors and our health. Collective action is the most effective tool to end health inequalities. CDHN sees coalition building as a crucial part of our approach to ending health Inequalities.
Strategic
Aims
The Network works towards its mission through four
strategic aims:
1. Networking
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Maintain and develop close relationship with members as the central source of CDHN's expertise;
- Support network in developing, evaluating and sustaining community development and health programmes in order to champion best practice.
- Gathering together people to share knowledge, expertise and experience of community development and health work on the ground and to offer peer support to each other;
- Ensure people are well informed about developments in policy and practice;
- Expand the CDHN network so that we reach all community and voluntary sec tor groups who are or could be working on determinants of health;
- Ensure network has access to and support on skills development;
- Invest in new technologies aimed at enhancing CDHN's networking function.
2. Influencing Policy
- Develop and publish a policy manifesto;
- Persuade policy-makers of the validity of community development and health methods which address health inequalities by develop policy models on health inequalities and community development; and
- Develop the research and evaluation resource on health inequalities and community development and health which will contributes to policy work.
3. Campaigning
- Campaign on specific health inequality goals;
- Raise awareness of community development approaches to addressing health inequalities (as they affect individuals and organisation in network);
- Lobby politicians and policy-makers to address health inequalities, using a community development approach; and
- Enable network to campaign effectively on health inequality issues, at local level, and to contribute to CDHN regional campaigns.
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