Case Study – COPE Scotland

COPE Scotland is one of over 300 charities and community organisations in the city responding to the COVID outbreak and being promoted through the Glasgow Helps website and telephone line.

Founded in 1991, Cope provides help with mental and emotional health for people aged 16 and over living in west Glasgow.

“People are facing other challenges as a result of what is going on – worries about work, family, money and access to food; loneliness and anxiety due to social isolation; relationship issues and uncertainty about the future.

But people’s resilience and the way communities have come together to help each other has been inspiring. While all of our circumstances are different, we can get through this together by being kind to each other and ourselves and recognising that at times we all need someone to listen and help us.”

Hilda Campbell, CEO at COPE Scotland

We meet Cope CEO, Hilda Campbell

What does COPE do and what areas of the city do you cover?

Founded in 1991, Cope provides help with mental and emotional health for people aged 16 and over living in west Glasgow. Our work includes listening services, one to one sessions, online wellbeing advice and community capacity building to establish peer led groups and services.

Tell us about yourself and what you do at Cope Scotland?

With nearly 40 years’ mental health experience in a variety of different roles and organisations, I’ve been with Cope since we began in 1991 – working with communities to explore new ways to address mental and emotional ill health and distress. As CEO, I’m involved in all the things you’d expect such as strategy, policy and finance. I also deliver training and see my role as more coaching than management.

How has the organisation been helping people through the Coronavirus pandemic?

We’re providing phone support now for those we worked directly with before lockdown. Recognising the impact COVID 19 would have on mental and emotional health, we were quick to circulate information widely about what we do and how to access our support.

We have also been issuing a regular e-bulletin which has become very popular and includes useful information and advice to help people self-care and face these challenging times. Informal touching base telephone calls are checking to see if people are okay and we’ve been working with a wide range of partners on online activities such as drawing and yoga.

Are you finding that people are struggling with different issues in the current situation and what type of things have been coming up more regularly? 

While the same issues are still there, we are noticing other challenges arising as a result of what is going – worries about work, family, money and access to food; loneliness and anxiety due to social isolation; relationship issues and uncertainty about the future.

Any thoughts or advice you’d like to give?

People’s resilience and the way communities have come together to help each other has been inspiring. All of our circumstances may be different, but we can get through this by being kind to each other and ourselves. And of course we need to recognise that at times we all need someone to listen, help and check in to see if we are okay.

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