How you can help the butterfly effect to grow wings in your community

Did you know that every time you make a local purchase, a small business owner does a happy dance! There’s no better feel-good factor than knowing your purchase has made a difference to a small business, their employees and, ultimately, your community. It’s called the butterfly effect.

Champion Green is turning Black Friday Green again this November. I want to thank the people of Ireland for joining our initiative to support local over the past year.

This Christmas, it’s more important than ever that we keep the movement going.

Keeping money in circulation locally will help our communities thrive and remain vibrant in the months and years ahead. Economist Jim Power shares in his recent Champion Green Report that for every €1 spent locally, €2.50 circulates back into our community. It really is important to think about this.

Seriously consider where you will spend your money this Green Friday and beyond during the run-up to Christmas. By shopping locally, we will help businesses survive and keep jobs safe. Let’s choose to shop consciously and responsibly in store and online this Green Friday, November 26. Together, let’s continue to support local.

This gift supplement showcases the very best of business across the length and breadth of Ireland. From craft and design to innovative start-ups born during recent lockdowns to stalworth Irish businesses, seeking and supporting local has never been easier.

I hope the gift ideas and Green Friday offers featured inspire you to shop and click local this year.

Champion Green works with local business at a very practical level, both to promote their offering now at this crucial time and to help them plan.

I want to thank our partners, especially Visa, and the trade organisations Retail Excellence, the Small Firms Association and Chambers Ireland, who support these efforts.

The Irish Daily Mail also deserves great credit for partnering with Champion Green to bring the best of local to the fore.

Our corporate partners — Aviva, AIB Merchant Services, the Maxol Group, An Post, Xtremepush and many more — are working in the background on practical business supports for local enterprise, so thank you to everyone who decides to be a conscious consumer this Green Friday.

When we support each other, we all rise. #ChampionGreen