Founded on 14 June 1946, in response to the tuberculosis crisis at that time, the charity was established with a simple belief that everyone deserves better health, better care and better chances in life.
Over the past eight decades, the charity has adapted and evolved to meet the changing health needs of the population and today focuses on chest, heart and stroke conditions and illnesses - the leading causes of death and disability in Northern Ireland.
NICHS works across four key areas - care, prevention, research and campaigning. The charity provides expert care and support services to people living with chest, heart and stroke conditions while also working to prevent illness by early detection and empowering people to make healthier lifestyle choices. It funds pioneering research into the treatment and prevention of these illnesses and campaigns for improved awareness, care and policy change.
Marking its 80th anniversary is a moment of pride and reflection for the charity
It is extremely proud of everything it has achieved over the past eight decades and of the impact it continues to have as Northern Ireland’s leading local health charity. At the same time it is deeply concerned that chest, heart and stroke conditions and illnesses remain the biggest causes of death here, particularly when many of these are preventable.
Chest, heart and stroke conditions and illnesses account for 38% of all deaths in Northern Ireland, compared to 27% caused by cancer. Today, 40% of our adult population are living with a chest, heart or stroke condition or illness - approximately 600,000 adults. Around 400,000 people have a diagnosis and an estimated 200,000 are living with undiagnosed conditions and illnesses. This is why the work of NICHS is so vital.
To mark its 80th anniversary, NICHS is running its ‘We’re here’ campaign celebrating the charity’s legacy in Northern Ireland while highlighting the ongoing impact of chest, heart and stroke conditions here. The charity wants to reassure people it is here, in communities across Northern Ireland every day, delivering essential care and prevention services that are making a real difference. Last year alone, over 36,000 people and organisations benefitted from NICHS’s Care and Health Promotion services; it supported research studies through £1.8 million in funding; it played an instrumental role in campaigning for the Tobacco and Vapes Act which recently became law. NICHS is doing everything it can to change the reality that chest, heart and stroke conditions and illnesses are the biggest killers of local people.
Watch the campaign video here
Being a NICVA member allows NICHS to network with a wide range of peers and partners, with whom it can share knowledge, learn from and collaborate.
The training resources provide a great opportunity for the NICHS team to learn and develop.
As a charity, almost 90% of NICHS’s income comes from public donations. The support it receives allows it to provide life-changing care and support services, fund groundbreaking research and work with schools, communities and workplaces to help prevent future chest, heart and stroke illnesses.
There are so many ways people can get involved and support NICHS. Whether you choose to make a donation, take part in an event, volunteer at one of the charity’s care programmes or as a Community Ambassador, or organise your own fundraiser at work, home or with friends, every penny and show of support will help make a difference to local lives right here in Northern Ireland.
Find out you can help here
Learn more about the NICHS anniversary fundraising appeal here