TIME TO ‘TAKE THE GREEN PLEDGE’

ACTRESS turned entrepreneur Aoibhín Garrihy is urging people to support their local firms and says she is worried about coronavirus debt being passed down to her children.

She was speaking ahead of the launch of the shoplocal campaign, Champion Green, which was created by Kilkenny Design in conjunction with DMG Media, RTÉ and Communicorp.

Organisers want people to minimise the financial impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the economy by buying local goods and services.

Ms Garrihy, ambassador for the campaign, said the lockdown affected a number of her family businesses, including her health and wellness business, Beo. The firm runs a number of wellness workshops every year but the live shows stopped earlier this year due to social distancing.

While Ms Garrihy adapted – the company ran an online series called ‘Beo at Home’ and launched a new wellness podcast – she is uncertain when the business will be back up and running proper.

‘Champion Green represents what I stand for and what Beo stands for,’ she told the Irish Daily Mail.

‘We try to support local business, particularly, women in business, and help the best we can. When we brought Beo’s sleep range to the market, everything we used was local. It’s something we’ve always championed but, now more than ever, it’s going to be the lifeline to keeping businesses alive.’

The former Fair City actress’s family is heavily involved in tourism. Her husband, John Burke, runs the Armada Hotel in Clare, while her father, Eugene Garrihy, runs both Dublin Bay Cruises and Doolin2Aran Ferries.

To take the Champion Green pledge, check out www.championgreen.ie