There is plenty of activity on a typical February day at Reden Aalborg. In the kitchen, volunteers are busy preparing Jerusalem artichoke soup and baking buns. In the cozy living room, a woman is relaxing, and in the health clinic, nurse Julie Winther is conducting a consultation.

Last year, the health clinic and Kvindelancen—the outreach health initiative—were in danger of closing. However, with public funding from the North Denmark Region and a donation of DKK 250,000 from the Sol og Strand Foundation Sol og Strand Margit and Kjeld, it has been possible to maintain the service.

"This allows us to continue the efforts that we know are effective. We are seeing an increasing number of women receiving healthcare at the clinic. We are also seeing more women receiving help when we go out with Kvindelancen," says Jeanette Dam Kastrup, director of Reden Aalborg.

The overall ambition is to reduce the health inequalities that affect socially vulnerable people. Together with a cultural worker who speaks either Spanish or Thai, Julie Winther visits brothels, shelters, and drop-in centers throughout North Jutland. Here, she offers testing for HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and tuberculosis, as well as distributing contraception and providing health advice.

"We usually say that we bring hugs and condoms. Many people experience great loneliness and need to meet someone who dares to look them in the eye and be present in the moment," says Julie Winther.

Our health initiatives are very broad. They cover everything from high blood pressure and diabetes to sexually transmitted diseases and advice on how to take care of yourself. And it means a lot that we can get our services out there. Some people are unable to come here because they have to be available for the brothels and therefore cannot spend time traveling from, for example, Thisted to Aalborg, she continues.

The target group includes people who, due to various barriers, do not seek out the healthcare system and treatment. Many distrust the healthcare system, face language challenges, and live a daily life characterized by mere survival, which means that diseases are detected late. The outreach efforts therefore also serve as a bridge to general practitioners, hospitals, and other healthcare services in the North Denmark Region.

Nurse Julie Winther and director Jeanette Dam Kastrup are delighted that it is possible to maintain the outreach, preventive, and educational efforts at Reden Aalborg. 

Co-founder of the fund, Margit Andersen, is delighted that it has been possible to continue the health initiatives in Reden Aalborg. She believes it is important that health does not become a privilege for those who have surplus income and resources.

"By supporting Reden, we want to help ensure that people in difficult and chaotic life situations are treated with dignity and professionalism and have real access to help," says Margit Andersen.

In 2024, 432 citizens took advantage of the offer at Reden Aalborg. In 2025, the number was 507.

FACT:

• Reden Aalborg is part of KFUK’s Social Work.
• Around 40 volunteers are part of Reden Aalborg, including a number of volunteer doctors.
• The project will run until 2026 and aims to reach 250–350 people in the target group, carry out around 500 tests for sexually transmitted diseases, and provide hundreds of health consultations and specific health services.