Hayden Hall is the oldest and the largest NGO servicing the hills of
Darjeeling,West Bengal. The organization is registered under the Societies Act with the Government of West Bengal. This gives permission to function as a NGO as specified in the memorandum of the association of Hayden Hall. The far sightedness of the founders is laudable as it has been mention in the memorandum of the association that the organization “will be open to persons of either sex and of whatever race, creed, caste or class and no conditions shall be imposed as to religious belief or profession”. The remotness of the area and the people being ethnically and culturally different from the rest of India has made this area neglected and underdeveloped.

Hayden Hall began work in 1969 when landslide victims were aided by a housing project on land donated by the government.Fr. Burns(late),assisted by college students and teachers,rehabilitation work lead to Community Development and Social Welfare Centre called Hayden Hall. The bad health conditions and lack of awareness in all areas of life called for a need for Health Care Program.The organization set out to provide food, housing, health care, education for the poor. The focus was woman and children as they were more venerable to the ills of the society. Excluded from major decision making self image and confidence was very low among the women. Furthermore women who are home makers always transferred what they had gained to their homes. Women are constantly made aware of and conscious of different issues that effect women. The organization has eight field workers who are women chosen from the women coming to Hayden Hall. These multipurpose workers are trained health workers and are in
constant touch with the people coming to our program and the community.