Wear the Green Jersey
New initiative promotes Irish business
(From the January - March 2021 issue of VOX)
With Christmas looming, Jonathan Shaw and his wife were wondering how they could “shop local” and support Irish businesses. “We had become aware of, and hugely impacted by, stories of the many Irish businesses and employees whose livelihoods had been threatened or completely decimated as a result of Covid-19 restrictions and uncertainties,” Jonathan said.
“We are being encouraged to buy Irish but where are all those Irish websites?”
“The Irish media had begun urging people to ‘put on the green jersey’ rather than go for the obvious online stores. We were sitting together one evening and thought, ‘We are being encouraged to buy Irish but where are all those Irish websites?’ We went looking and it was tricky to find what was available online. I think we are all attracted to what can seem like the easier choice of international websites that have become household names, for better or worse.
“That got me thinking, ‘What if there was a central website where people could be directed to Irish businesses and Irish websites so that struggling industries can be supported and helped back onto their feet? Could I pull something together?’”
Jonathan had recently left the security of a fulltime job in youth work to train, support and mentor new and long-serving youth workers around the country with Youth Ministry Development (www.ymd.ie). Restrictions on movement meant his ministry was severely limited, which also affected his income and with three children in third level education that was a challenge.
“I realised there is a biblical precedent for supporting ministry through part-time work (St. Paul was a “tent maker”) and so I set up a small business with a website designed to support Irish businesses this Christmas and beyond; to encourage us all to ‘put on the green jersey’ and buy Irish.”
“I was recently very proud of one of our own children – a university student with no regular source of income – who intentionally made the choice to purchase a much-sought-after and highly desired Christmas gift, not from one of the international suppliers but locally, from an Irish outlet to support the local business.” Jonathan added. “This sort of personal choice is exactly what GreenJersey.ie is all about. It may at times mean a small personal sacrifice in terms of price but it has huge benefit not just for the local store but also our collective support of Irish businesses and the Irish economy.”
Jonathan’s desire is to help small businesses and employers who’ve been hard hit by lockdowns and new restrictions. “I wanted to highlight that many businesses are producing or selling things we need close by.”
For a small, nominal fee businesses can include a listing on the Green Jersey website, directing purchasers to their online stores and increasing sales. He is investigating tiered pricing so the smallest businesses and individual artisans and craftspeople will pay less than more established firms.
“And who knows. If Green Jersey gains momentum and proves successful, it may just tide us over in terms of our own income deficit during these challenging times,” Jonathan smiled.
