What we do
There are two drivers that govern the work we do.
Concern’s commitment to address extreme poverty and hunger.
We are known as an effective and influential organisation in tackling extreme poverty and hunger globally. We wish to build on this strength and reputation by delivering innovative and high-quality programmes to achieve food and nutrition security, building communities’ resilience in fragile contexts, and by influencing global, regional and national policies that drive structural changes to achieve food and nutrition security for the poorest people.
Concern’s humanitarian identity.
We prioritise and maintain the capacity to respond quickly and effectively to save lives and reduce suffering, to maintain the dignity of affected communities and to strengthen community preparedness for future disasters.
Where we work
We respond to emergencies in countries where we have a long-term presence, as well as those in which the scale of the crisis calls for international assistance. For our long- term development work, we target countries and areas within countries using our own ‘Poor-Vulnerable Index’ which uses a range of indicators, including lack of assets, inequalities, and risks to assess people’s vulnerabilities.
Over the life of this strategy, we will make a continued, gradual shift to work in a greater number of the poorest counties, often those affected by conflict and climate change, as this is where we believe we can provide significant added value. We have invested in developing innovative approaches to tackling poverty in fragile contexts. In order to have the greatest impact we will expand these models, drawing on our learning to deliver effectively at scale.
How we work
Concern (UK) plays a distinct and important role. Our proximity to the heart of policy dialogue and formulation, and our relationships with governments, other leading NGOs, donors and civil society movements enable us to raise the profile of the people we serve and the challenges they face on a daily basis, and to raise funds to help meet those challenges.
Our influencing work seeks to address the root causes of poverty for the most vulnerable people. Focusing on the issues most pertinent to our work, we gather evidence from our programmes to engage and encourage public and political support for the adoption of pro- poor policies and practices we know to be effective. We also seek to engage the public in the issues we care about and to raise the profile of Concern in the UK.
Concern (UK) raises funds from the public and institutional donors in the UK, in order to fund our programmes, which are implemented on our behalf by Concern. Concern (UK) provides ongoing support and oversight of all the programmes we fund.
Our Vision
Is a world where no one lives in poverty, fear or oppression; where all have access to a decent standard of living and the opportunities and choices essential to a long, healthy and creative life; a world where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
Our Mission
Is to help people living in extreme poverty achieve major improvements in their lives, which last and spread without ongoing support from Concern. To achieve this mission we engage in long-term development work, build resilience, respond to emergencies and seek to address the root causes of poverty through our development education and advocacy programmes.
Our Values
We focus on extreme poverty
We are driven by a clear focus on eliminating poverty in the most vulnerable places and responding to humanitarian crises.
We believe in equality
People are equal in rights and must be treated with respect and dignity.
We listen
Listening and partnership are key to empowering the poorest and most vulnerable to transform their own lives.
We respond rapidly
People affected by disasters are entitled to have their most basic needs met through rapid, effective, and principled responses.
We are courageous
Taking necessary risks, balanced with sound judgement, allows us to work in the most challenging contexts.
We are committed
We go the extra mile to support communities in times of need and in the face of very difficult operating environments.
We are innovative
Finding effective solutions requires innovative thinking combined with a pragmatic approach.
We are accountable
Accountability and transparency are central to all of our actions and use of resources.
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