COPE Foundation

COPE Foundation is an Irish not-for-profit voluntary organisation based in Cork. It supports children and adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism across Cork city and county through education, training, residential care, day services, community participation, family support and other person-centred services. The organisation serves approximately 2,150 people and operates through a network of more than 65 locations. The organisation originated during Cork’s polio epidemic in the 1950s. At that time, children who survived polio could be left with significant disabilities, while rehabilitation services were limited or unavailable. Councillor John Bermingham established the Cork Poliomyelitis Association on 29 May 1957 to provide physiotherapy and related support. Its first activities were conducted from a single room before the association moved into a specially adapted facility known as the Polio Clinic. As the needs of polio survivors changed and many children returned to mainstream schools, the association broadened its mission. It began supporting children with intellectual disabilities, many of whom had previously remained at home or been placed in institutions that did not provide appropriate developmental or educational opportunities. In 1958, it opened Scoil Bernadette, followed by the residential school Queen of Angels, also known as Scoil Eanna. The organisation subsequently developed services covering early education, vocational preparation, employment support, leisure, residential living and later-life care. The organisation changed its name on 30 May 1958 to the Cork Polio and General After-Care Association, reflecting its expanded remit. On 5 December 1988, it adopted the name Cope Foundation. The change marked the evolution from a narrowly focused post-polio association into a broad disability-support organisation serving people across different ages and support needs. COPE Foundation’s service network includes adult day services, community participation programmes, early intervention, elderly services, post-school training, residential services, respite and short-break provision, and schools. Its operating model is community-based, with services distributed across Cork rather than concentrated in a single institutional campus. This structure is intended to support participation in ordinary community life while providing specialised assistance where required. The organisation is primarily supported through public-sector funding and fundraising. Its work involves coordination with Ireland’s health and education authorities, including the Health Service Executive and government departments. It also employs a substantial workforce to deliver care, education, training and support services. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, COPE launched a fundraising effort in April 2020 to obtain smartphones and tablets for residents who had lost regular face-to-face contact with family members. COPE Foundation is best understood as a regional disability-services and social-care organisation rather than a consumer-facing commercial brand. Its identity is associated with inclusion, lifelong support, community participation and practical assistance for people with intellectual disabilities and autism. Its historical development reflects the wider transition in Ireland from segregated institutional provision toward education, support and care delivered in community settings.

COPE Foundation began in Cork during the polio epidemic of the 1950s. Children who survived the disease could experience lasting physical disabilities, but Cork had few dedicated rehabilitation resources. Councillor John Bermingham founded the Cork Poliomyelitis Association on 29 May 1957 to provide physiotherapy and related assistance. The early organisation worked from a single room and then moved to a specially equipped clinic known as the Polio Clinic. The association initially concentrated on rehabilitation and the reintegration of polio survivors into mainstream education. As those children’s needs changed, the organisation redirected increasing attention toward children with intellectual disabilities. At the time, many such children remained at home or were placed in institutions that were not designed to provide appropriate education, development or community participation. The association responded by creating dedicated educational and residential provision. In 1958, it opened Scoil Bernadette, a school for children with intellectual disabilities. A residential school, Queen of Angels, also known as Scoil Eanna, followed. On 30 May 1958, the organisation changed its name to the Cork Polio and General After-Care Association. The new name reflected a broader role covering children with different levels and types of disability, rather than focusing solely on post-polio rehabilitation. Over the following decades, the organisation expanded its activities across the life course. Its work came to include preschool and school education, vocational training, support with employment and placement, occupational and leisure activities, residential care and retirement-related services. This progression transformed it from a condition-specific rehabilitation association into a wider disability-support provider. On 5 December 1988, the Cork Polio and General After-Care Association became the Cope Foundation. The renamed organisation continued developing services throughout Cork city and county. Its later model emphasised community-based support delivered through multiple locations, rather than reliance on a single residential institution. The resulting network includes schools, early-intervention programmes, adult day services, post-school training, community participation, residential services, respite and short-break provision, and services for older people. COPE Foundation’s work is delivered in cooperation with Ireland’s public health and education systems and is supported by public funding alongside charitable fundraising. The organisation has become a significant regional employer and service provider, supporting approximately 2,150 children and adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism through more than 65 locations. The COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges for residents and families. In April 2020, COPE began a fundraising campaign to purchase smartphones and tablets for residents who could no longer meet relatives in person because of public-health restrictions. The initiative illustrated the organisation’s continuing role in adapting practical support to changing circumstances while maintaining social connection. Today, COPE Foundation remains an active Irish not-for-profit voluntary organisation serving Cork. Its historical trajectory follows a broader shift in disability policy and practice: from emergency rehabilitation for polio survivors, through specialised schooling and residential provision, toward integrated, community-based and lifelong support for people with intellectual disabilities and autism.

• 2020

  Digital-contact fundraising campaign

  [1]Cope Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  During COVID-19 restrictions, the foundation raised funds for smartphones and tablets to help residents remain in contact with family.

• 1988

  Adopted the name Cope Foundation

  [1]Cope Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  On 5 December, the organisation adopted the name used for its broader disability-support mission.

• 1958

  Expansion into intellectual-disability services

  [1]Cope Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The organisation opened Scoil Bernadette and later Queen of Angels residential school, broadening its mission beyond polio rehabilitation.

• 1958

  Name changed to Cork Polio and General After-Care Association

  [1]Cope Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The 30 May name change formally acknowledged the association’s wider role in supporting children and people with intellectual disabilities.

• 1957

  Cork Poliomyelitis Association founded

  [1]Cope Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  John Bermingham established the association on 29 May to provide physiotherapy and rehabilitation support after Cork’s polio epidemic.

A community-based Irish not-for-profit organisation focused on lifelong support, inclusion, education and care for people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism.

• Disability support

  Adult Day Services

  Structured daytime support for adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism. Services may combine personal development, meaningful activity, social participation and practical support, with delivery through community locations across Cork.

• Community support

  Community Participation

  Support designed to help people participate in ordinary community life. The service forms part of COPE Foundation’s community-based model and complements education, day support and residential provision.

• Early support

  Early Intervention Services

  Early support for children with developmental, intellectual or related support needs. The service sits within the foundation’s broader lifelong approach and connects early assistance with later education and family support.

• Residential care

  Residential Services

  Residential support for people who require assistance with daily living, care or participation. Residential provision developed from the organisation’s early specialist schools and is now delivered as part of a wider community network.

• Vocational training

  Post-School Training Services

  Training and transition support for people moving beyond school. The service reflects COPE Foundation’s long-standing involvement in vocational preparation, placement, employment-related support and adult development.

• Family support

  Respite and Short-Break Services

  Short-term support intended to provide breaks for families and alternative care arrangements for people supported by the foundation. It forms part of the organisation’s wider network of flexible care services.

• Special education · 1958

  Schools

  Specialist educational provision for children with intellectual disabilities and related support needs. The foundation’s education history includes Scoil Bernadette and Queen of Angels, established during its early expansion in the 1950s.

• 2020Smartphones and tablets fundraising campaign

  Cork · Ireland

  COPE Foundation appealed for funds to purchase smartphones and tablets for residents who were unable to maintain normal face-to-face family contact during COVID-19 restrictions.

  Source

• 1988

  Adoption of the Cope Foundation nameStrategy

  Background

  The organisation had evolved from a polio-focused association into a broad provider of education, care, training and support for people with intellectual disabilities.

  Action taken

  It changed its name from the Cork Polio and General After-Care Association to Cope Foundation on 5 December 1988.

  Aftermath

  The new identity represented the organisation’s expanded remit and continuing development of services across Cork.

  Source

1. 1Cope Foundationen.wikipedia.org