About Us
CDC are a membership organisation, with a Board of Governors and currently 7 full and part time staff. The organisation was launched at a conference in mid-Wales in March 2002 and established as a Charity on September 29th 2003. The aim was to lay the foundations for a sustainable All Wales National Organisation for Community Development.
Since its beginnings, CDC has worked at all levels and across all sectors in various capacities within the Community Development field in Wales and beyond. Through its project and contract work, CDC connects with people at grass root levels and with the issues that affect their lives. Through its consultancy work CDC gathers knowledge about the needs of organisations across the sectors. Through its contract work, CDC builds in depth understanding of the learning and training needs of the Workforce, and through its policy work CDC contributes to partnership and network meetings, fulfilling a vital role by bringing community development values and principles into the political and policy arena.
Our Vison, Mission and Values
Our Vision
Community Development Cymru's vision is to empower and build resilient, inclusive, connected communities - active in realising their potential through effective community development practice.
Our Mission
Our Mission is stated in the form of our commitments to the following;
- Challenging - discrimination and oppressive practices within organisations institutions and communities
- Developing - practice and policy that is inclusive
- Encouraging - networking and connections between communities and organisations
- Ensuring - access and choice for all groups and individuals within society
- Influencing - policy programmes from the communities perspective
- Prioritising - the issues of concern to people experiencing poverty and social exclusion
- Promoting - social change that is long term and sustainable
- Reversing - inequality and the imbalance of power relationships in society
- Supporting - community led collective action
- Campaigning-on tackling poverty and social justice issues
Our Values
Effective community development work is underpinned by values and principles. These can be challenging but are vital to good community development practice. They include;
Social Justice: Building an equal and fair society where all community and human rights are promoted and oppression in any form is challenged.
Self-determination: Individuals and groups identifying shared issues and concerns to enable them to take collective action.
Working and Learning together: Valuing, sharing and using the skills, knowledge, experience and diversity within communities to collectively bring about desired changes.
Sustainable Communities: Supporting communities to develop their strengths, resources, and independence whilst making and maintaining links to the wider society.
Participation: The right for all to be active participants in the processes that affect their communities and lives.
Reflective Practice: People learning from their collective and individual experiences to inform their future action.
