Trigon Hotels and Cope Foundation celebrate national award

Monday, September 26, 2022.
Trigon Hotels and Cope Foundation Partnership Flourishes with National Award
Pictured at the Cope Foundation’s Sensory Garden, which was created by volunteers from both organisations, are Katriona Hourihan, Trigon Hotels with Sean Abbott, Cope Foundation chief executive, along with David and Eimear, both students at the Bonnington Training Centre and John O’Mahony, Trigon Hotels. Picture: David Keane.

Trigon Hotels and Cope Foundation Partnership Flourishes with National Award

The fruitful collaboration between a hotel group in Cork and one of the largest disability organisations in Ireland has been chosen as the winner of a 2022 Sustainable Business Impact Awards.

Trigon Hotels won the ‘Partnership with a Charity’ category at the gala event at the Clayton Hotel for the hotel group’s ongoing work with Cope Foundation and its Ability@Work programme. It was one of 75 projects shortlisted across 14 categories. 

The Chambers Ireland awards showcase the best in sustainable development and social responsibility undertaken by companies in Ireland. The ‘Partnership with a Charity’ category is about engaging in a considered way with the charity and offering support through a variety of collaborative means. 

Cope Foundation is Trigon Hotels’ charity of choice for 2021 and 2022. The organisation supports over 2,800 children and adults with an intellectual disability and/or autism across Cork city and county to live a life of their choosing. 

One of the most successful elements of the collaboration is the creation of a new sensory garden at Cope Foundation in Montenotte, Cork. Volunteers from both organisations transformed a patch of unused ground into a colourful and calming environment. It is filled with plants to stimulate the senses as well as fruit and vegetables, grown by students from the charity’s Bonnington Training Centre, which is then used by the Chefs in the hotels.

Trigon Hotels is part of Cope Foundation’s Ability@Work programme and has created sustainable employment for six people supported by the charity. The programme provides work preparation training and employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism. It promotes inclusive workplaces by encouraging Cork employers to open their doors and include everyone.

Aaron Mansworth, Managing Director of Trigon Hotels said, “It is a huge achievement to win a Sustainable Business Impact Award and shows what can be achieved by businesses and charities working together. Our relationship with Cope Foundation is about so much more than fundraising, by sharing our skills we have learned so much from each other and we have developed lasting friendships along the way. Cork has led the way in terms of inclusion in sport for many years and now we’re leading the way for inclusion in business. It is important to us that our hotels are as inclusive and diverse as possible and our partnership with Cope Foundation and Ability@Work is central to that.”

Cope Foundation Chief Executive, Sean Abbott added, “It is wonderful to see the partnership between Trigon Hotels and our organisation recognised at a national level. However, more importantly, I know that the collaboration has improved the lives of so many people we support. I would like to thank the volunteers from both organisations who gave up their time week after week to design, build and maintain the sensory garden. They worked closely with the students from Bonnington Training Centre who were able to apply the skills they learned in their horticulture classes. Trigon Hotels has also provided meaningful employment and training opportunities for people supported by our Ability@Work programme and is a fantastic advocate both locally and nationally.”

Trigon Hotels will host a charity ball in aid of Cope Foundation and Ability@Work at the Cork International Hotel on Friday, October 21st. Tickets for the gala are on sale now at the Cork International Hotel and the Metropole Hotel. 

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