• Addressing Disadvantage

    Since 1752

Who We Are

We are Belfast City’s First Charitable Organisation and Ireland’s oldest extant charity.  The Society was founded by a group of leading businessmen in 1752 to build a Poor House and Infirmary for the most vulnerable citizens of Belfast. Today the Belfast Charitable Society, based at Clifton House – the former Poor House, remains an important influence in Belfast and is proud of its ongoing philanthropic work. 

Our Mission

Our Vision is to be the recognised leader in the provision of progressive, relevant and philanthropic charitable work in Belfast and the wider community.

Our Mission is to preserve, promote and utilise the philanthropic heritage of the Society to address disadvantage.

The need for our work today is just as great as it was over 270 years ago when the society was first established by an Act of Parliament of Ireland.

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