Celebrate A Real Cork Christmas
Communities and businesses in the county have been offered a boost ahead of Christmas. Cork County Council has launched a new initiative in the run up to Christmas.
A Real Cork Christmas (ARCC) will be celebrated in towns and villages in the run up to 25 December all over the county.
Cork County Council hopes the campaign will:
* Support Cork businesses in reaching their customers
* Promote the vibrant range of gifts and products on sale locally
* Ensure Christmas is still celebrated in a safe and meaningful way
* Create a sense of solidarity and hope among the people of county Cork for the future
ARCC will include a promotional campaign to support businesses who have been forced to trade through click-and-collect, phone-and-collect and online. With tens of millions of euro being spent in Cork in the run up to Christmas, Cork County Council wants people to consider businesses near their home. ARCC is an extension of Project ACT, which was established earlier in the pandemic to make a direct, positive difference to individual communities.
Mayor of Cork County, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley, said: “The introduction of Level 5 restrictions has come as a significant blow for our local retailers, who had been relying on the run up to Christmas to make up for lost time and business earlier in the pandemic.
“We now need to show our support by making sure that what we spend this Christmas stays local. As a community, we will celebrate Christmas as best we can while protecting and supporting each other.”
Cork County Council is establishing a virtual marketplace, where businesses are invited to post their details and how potential customers can contact them. Businesses can apply by visiting yourcouncil.ie.
ARCC will invite schoolchildren in every fourth class across county Cork to design a special Christmas postcard to represent what A Real Cork Christmas means to them.
Other events include the official turning on of Christmas lights in every town and village.
People are invited to join the spirit of ARCC by lighting up a window in their home or business as Cork County Council lights its premises across the county at 7pm on Thursday 12 November.
A series of initiatives will also be undertaken to promote well-being and mental health.
This will include Slí Na Croí Ám Nollaig, where red and white ribbons will be added to community walkways to symbolise community solidarity during this challenging period.
Chief executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey, said: “Project ACT showed us how Cork County Council can empower our communities to make a real difference on the ground. Now, as we get closer to Christmas, we are building on that goodwill through this new initiative. Christmas is about community, and 2020 has taught us the value of standing together as a community.”