CDHN is a regional infrastructure organisation working with local communities and across sectors to take action on the social determinants of health, improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. We work with communities to identify their own health & social needs & have a specific focus on those who experience the most disadvantage. With 30 years experience and a cross-sectoral membership of over 2400 individuals and over 110 community and voluntary organisations, we have an extensive reach across Northern Ireland.
We recognise, value, and gather evidence to understand the social determinants of health and people’s lived experiences, and together with our members we design, develop, deliver, facilitate, and evaluate initiatives that improve health and address health inequalities. We use our learning, knowledge and experience to create social change and influence policy and practice through training, capacity building and community investment.
Our Vision
A fair and equal society where everyone experiences their best health and wellbeing.
Our Mission
Using community development to end health inequalities.
Our Values
We are committed to living the following values in all aspects of our work:
Social justice and sustainable development
We believe fairness and equality. Everyone should have the same chance for a healthy life, no matter where they were born or live. We work to create conditions where people have more control of their health and wellbeing, and a voice in decisions that affect them.
Equity, human rights and anti-discrimination
We value diversity, challenge racism and discrimination, and will always work to build an inclusive and equitable society.
Participation and inclusion
We support people to have a voice, be included and shape decisions through meaningful participation.
Collective action and community empowerment
We believe that empowered communities can create lasting change by working together to achieve health equity.
Integrity
We act with honesty, openness and accountability. We build relationships based on trust, compassion, and mutual respect, and ensure our actions reflect our values.
Our Grounding Truths
We believe that everyone has the right to good health, yet, in Northern Ireland, and beyond, deep-rooted inequalities mean that not everyone has the same chance to live a healthy life.
These truths guide our work:
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In Northern Ireland some people die younger and experience more years in poor health because of factors such as where they live, their jobs, quality of their homes, their education, clean air, how much money they have and access to health services.
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These health inequalities are unfair and preventable. They are driven by the social determinants of health, not just personal choices or lifestyles. Overemphasising individual behaviour change can actually make inequalities worse.
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Achieving health equity requires long-term, society-wide action that tackles the root causes of poor health.
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Community development approaches help people to identify what matters to them, recognise power imbalances, participate in decision making, and take collective action to improve their health and wellbeing.
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To close the health inequalities gap, we must actively involve people experiencing the most disadvantage, including minority and marginalised groups, and work together for real, lasting change.
Read our strategic plan and annual report here