COPE Galway

COPE Galway is a Galway charity that provides services to the most isolated in our community including a refuge for women and children affected by domestic violence, accommodation for those experiencing homelessness, and sustenance and social supports for older people at home. In the past year COPE Galway has delivered over 45,000 meals to older people to support them to continue to live in their own homes, a refuge and outreach support to over 280 women and their children experiencing domestic violence, and over 13,000 bed nights to homeless women and men.

A strategic partnership with NUI Galway has been spear headed by John Concannon, Chairman, Jacquie Horan COPE Galway CEO, and Fintan Maher COPE Galway Director of Development Communications through the Community Knowledge Initiative (CKI).

COPE Galway are working with a number of service learning modules across the curriculum.  In the year ahead undergraduate students from the School of Law Clinical Legal Education Placements programme will provide legal information sessions pro bono within the homeless residencies of Galway. Postgraduate students from the M.A. in Philosophy: Ethics, Culture and Global Change are researching the experiences of men within COPE Galway Fairgreen Hostel for men. The aim of the project is to dispel myths surrounding homelessness by highlighting the broad spectrum of people affected regardless of position within community, and by contrasting real life experiences of homeless people with the media representation of homelessness. Finally, marketing students will be developing the Community Catering branding throughout Galway city and county.

NUI Galway student volunteers through the ALIVE programme volunteer with COPE Galway as fundraisers and visiting the elderly in the Sonas Day Centre in Mervue, Galway.

COPE Galway was selected by the NUI Galway Students Union as one of their four charities for the academic year 2009-2010. Fundraising events and activities held on campus by the Students Union throughout the year will go directly to the charity.

Many other collaborations are also being progressed across the spectrum NUI Galway.

The NUI Galway and COPE Galway relationship will be formally launched on the 18th of December 2009 when the partners sign a memorandum of understanding over dinner at COPE Galway Community Catering facility.