Connacht Tribune
COPE volunteers provide the backbone that helps keep charity working
The spirit of volunteerism is alive and thriving – helping local charities to fulfill the ever-increasing demand for services while at the same time contributing to the greater good.
COPE Galway relies heavily on its team of almost 200 volunteers – which is why, as part of National Volunteering Week, the charity this week held its third annual Volunteer Recognition Event in Salthill to thank all of their helpers for giving their time.
COPE Galway provides supports and services for those affected by homelessness, domestic violence and for older people. Its aim is to improve quality of life for these people in a home of their own by supporting home, promoting community and reducing isolation.
Cabrini McDaid, Neil Cronin and Patsy Kenny are just three of the people who use their time to help out at COPE Galway.
“What led me to it is my now-adult children are all grown up so I have more time on my hands,” explains Cabrini.
She had already been doing some volunteer work but was set on finding something different and that would challenge her. And so, Cabrini checked out COPE and became an activities coordinator for the organisation.
Her job involves meeting with COPE clients and getting information from them, she then goes in search of social or recreational activities that will suit the person and get them involved.
Fundraising is something Neil has done for years and he is now a fundraising volunteer for COPE Galway.
He started with COPE around ten years ago and is responsible for gathering spot prizes and setting up everything needed on the day of the events.
Patsy’s friend got her involved with volunteering around six or seven years ago. Her working week went down to three days so she had more time to help those who needed it and soon she began delivering meals to the elderly around Galway with community catering.
Connecting with businesses, clubs and other services to see what they can offer at a discount or for free is all in a day’s work for Cabrini.
“What I find when I contact people is that they are so willing to help,” she says – and she wants others to participate in volunteering and providing services so that COPE clients feel connected to the community and feel valued.
Neil worked in the electrical business for years and so knows a lot of people around Galway – a valuable asset when looking for spot prizes. He likes to go out and speak to people face-to-face rather than ring them.
“I find then that they can’t say no,” he laughs, “but I find people are good no matter where you go looking for something, you get it.”
Each Monday, Patsy does community catering, or ‘meals on wheels’ as it’s known. Before her route, she heads to COPE and is given a list of who wants a meal that day and she begins her day.
She not only delivers a nutritional meal, but also provides some conversation and companionship for the people she meets on her route.
Cabrini’s work as COPE’s activities coordinator has meant a busy time for her in this new role. Volunteering is a way to give back and Cabrini would encourage others to get involved.
“I think most volunteers will say that it’s a win-win situation; I’m getting a huge amount out of it and it is very fulfilling,” she says.
Neil and Patsy no longer work and dedicate as much free time as they can to COPE.
Patsy also helps with the Renmore Friendship Club. “It’s run on the same style as the COPE lunch clubs so we supply the meals from COPE,” she explains.
The Renmore Friendship club is every Tuesday and Patsy explains that four teams of volunteers take part – each team does one Tuesday per month – and they recently won a mayoral award for their commitment to increasing the quality of life for the elderly in the community.
The three volunteers would encourage others to dedicate any time they can to COPE Galway.
Neil enjoys his time at COPE and how there are no separations between volunteers and managers – everyone sits together and has a chat in the office and get along great.
Patsy feels the same, the people she meets doing community catering are always happy to see her and ‘everything is a chat and a laugh and friendship’.
Cabrini tells of how she approached a local hairdresser who offered her skills at a Galway hostel. Those who availed of haircuts felt valued and it boosted their confidence and she encourages anyone with any skills to get involved with COPE.
COPE’s 200 volunteers help in over 30 volunteer roles, including driver, kitchen assistant, food rescue, cookery tutor, befriender, day centre, lunch club, musicians, playroom support, health and well-being, physical activity, shop assistant, fundraising and administration and many more.
COPE have church gate collections around the county on June 17 and 18, a bucket collection at Oranmore Town Centre on June 23 and one at Barna Supervalu and they are hoping people can lend some time for these collections.
If you would like to find out more about COPE or would like to volunteer, have a look on their website
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
