Belfast Healthy Cities is dedicated to promoting a healthier, more sustainable Belfast by integrating health and well-being into all aspects of our lives.
Through innovative programs and partnerships, we work to address health inequalities and promote environments where everyone here thrives.
Belfast Healthy Cities is a partnership organisation working to improve health and wellbeing and reduce inequalities across Belfast. We bring people, organisations and sectors together to influence policy, drive collaboration, and introduce new ideas and evidence to help create a healthier, more equitable and sustainable city.
We help shape healthy public policy through collaboration, evidence and shared learning.
We introduce new ideas, evidence and approaches to Belfast.
We bring sectors, organisations & communities together to share ideas & strengthen partnerships.
We connect Belfast with learning from cities across Europe.
To work collaboratively across Belfast to improve health and wellbeing, reduce inequalities and ensure health is considered in the decisions that shape our city.
Our team is made up of dedicated professionals from health, urban planning, and community development sectors, working together to bring about positive change in Belfast.
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Our Team bring together a wide range of experience, knowledge and expertise, united by a shared commitment to improving health and wellbeing and reducing inequalities across Belfast.
Belfast has played an active role in the European Healthy Cities Network, sharing local experience internationally while bringing new ideas, evidence and approaches back to the city.
Through its partnership approach to policy development, Belfast Healthy Cities has helped introduce new concepts and ways of working that have gone on to influence mainstream policy at both local and regional level.
Belfast has also hosted the WHO European Healthy Cities Network Â
International Healthy Cities Conference twice, bringing member cities and public health experts together to exchange ideas, showcase innovation and explore how public health policy can be advanced.
While much has been achieved, significant challenges remain. Health gains are not experienced equally across all communities, making continued action on the social determinants of health and health inequalities an important part of the city’s work.
A Healthy City is one that is continually creating and improving physical and social environments and expanding community resources. That enables people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and in developing to their maximum potential.
As part of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network, we are committed to promoting health and sustainable development at the local level, here in Belfast.
Our mission is to make Belfast a leading example of innovative practices that improve health and well-being for all its residents – the people that live, work and visit here.Â
We value collaboration, equity, sustainability, and innovation in all our efforts to create a healthier city that we can all enjoy.
Our Board brings together experienced leaders from across public health, academia, government, planning and the community sector.
Our Board Members are:
Our governance structure ensures that Belfast Healthy Cities operates with transparency and accountability, guided by a non-executive board of sector leaders in public health, urban planning, and community engagement.
Belfast has been part of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network since 1988, bringing health, wellbeing and equity into the decisions that shape our city. Through collaboration across sectors, Belfast continues to share learning, develop new approaches and take action on the wider factors that influence people’s health and quality of life.
We work collaboratively with a diverse network of partners, including local government, health organisations, academic institutions and community groups. By bringing together expertise, ideas and resources, we help create a healthier, more inclusive and sustainable Belfast for everyone.
As part of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network, we align with WHO Europe’s strategic goals to promote health, well-being, and equity across Europe and globally.Â
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations members in 2015, created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They were created with the aim of “peace and prosperity for people and the planet…” – while tackling climate change and working to preserve oceans and forests.
