COPE Foundation is a not-for-profit voluntary organisation, formed on 29 May 1957. COPE supports approximately 2,150 children and adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism throughout Cork city and county in Ireland.
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History
After Cork’s polio epidemic in the 1950s, people were left with a disability but with no rehabilitative services locally in the city or county and so ‘The Cork Poliomyelitis Association’ was founded by the late Cllr. John Bermingham. The association provided physiotherapy services to people who had contracted polio. The association quickly developed from operating out of a single room to a specially adapted and equipped clinic which became known as ‘The Polio Clinic’.
The Cork Poliomyelitis Association worked to ensure that the children in their care were integrated back into the mainstream education system. Gradually the association's responsibilities to these children diminished as their health improved and were attending the ordinary schools.
The work of the organisation broadened and the association began providing services for children with intellectual disabilities who, up until then, either remained at home or were placed in inappropriate institutions. Scoil Bernadette, a special school for children with intellectual disability opened in 1958 followed by the opening of a residential school, Queen of Angels (Scoil Eanna).
Services and clients diversified so The Cork Poliomyelitis Association was renamed on 30 May 1958 to ‘Cork Polio and General After-care Association’. Over time, the profile of those being provided with services changed from children with a mild degree of intellectual disability to include all age ranges and all degrees of intellectual disability. The range of services being provided to increased in number and scope to include pre-school and education, vocational training & placement, varying levels of occupation & employment, leisure facilities and retirement options with a range of residential facilities throughout Cork city and county.
As time passed the title Cork Polio and General After-Care Association became misleading and on 5 December 1988, the title was changed to COPE Foundation.
Work
COPE Foundation operates through a network of community based supports at over 65 locations in Cork city and county. These supports include:
Fundraising
COPE Foundation, which is in the Irish Times "Top 1000 Companies", is mostly funded by the Department of Health, The Department of Education and Health Service Executive (HSE) and employs around 800 people. In 2011 COPE Foundation received funding for 74% of its €60.82 million total annual expenses from the HSE. In the same year €1.24 million came from public fundraising which accounted for 2%.