Coffee shop conversations to community impact – Luke’s Story

My journey to joining COPE Galway began in September 2020 when I was working in Fat Tony’s coffee shop, just behind COPE Galway’s head office.

Sharon Fitzpatrick, COPE Galway’s Head of Development, regularly dropped in for a coffee and our informal conversations about the work of COPE Galway really sparked my interest in the organisation.

I was in my final year at NUIG, and had to complete a module on community development. I decided to research COPE Galway for my essay, and as I read up on their services, my interest grew even more. When Sharon mentioned the possibility of working with the fundraising team over the summer – I immediately jumped at the
opportunity.

Working with COPE Galway appealed to me because of its wide range of services that cater to the needs of some of the most vulnerable people in Galway.

Luke Roche

But also as a Galway native, I found it very interesting to get an insight into the needs in Galway, and the many ways communities in Galway come together to support people.

My role is definitely varied – I do everything from project research, providing information and inputting data, to design work, helping with running fundraising and awareness campaigns and bringing donations to our charity shop in the city centre – it is never boring!

There is a plethora of things that I like about working with COPE Galway.

Knowing that what I am doing is making a difference in my local community is a great feeling. The enthusiasm of the team around me and the desire to constantly improve COPE Galway’s services is very inspiring.

Luke Roche