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Pubs across Ireland will simultaneously switch on their Christmas lights tonight Friday November 20th at 5pm.
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Consumers are being asked to show their support for a safe reopening by sharing #KEEPTHELIGHTSON with images of their local lit up on social media.
Yesterday saw the launch of the #KEEPTHELIGHTSON campaign, which sees the LVA, VFI and Hospitality Ulster join forces with Guinness Raising the Bar to highlight pubs readiness for a safe reopening.
As part of the launch a powerful, emotive film featuring 8 pubs from around Ireland went live yesterday and had a massive impact on social media, with reshares from key media outlets, influencers, pubs around the country and the public at large! Thousands of views and hundreds of shares in mere hours highlight the groundswell of support for pubs around Ireland being given the chance to reopen safely ahead of the crucial Christmas period.
For the next phase of the campaign pubs across the island of Ireland, north and south, are coming together to simultaneously switch on their Christmas lights tonight Friday November 20th at 5pm. Consumers can also get involved and show their support for a safe reopening by sharing #KEEPTHELIGHTSON with images of their local lit up on social media.
Padraig Cribben, Chief Executive of the VFI commented: “Since we launched the #KEEPTHELIGHTSON campaign yesterday, the VFI has been inundated with messages of support. People across Ireland from Mayo to Meath have gotten in touch with their local to make sure they are taking part. Our publicans will be lighting up en masse tonight at 5pm to highlight their readiness for a safe reopening!”
Donall O’Keeffe, CEO of the LVA said: “The interest in this campaign has been huge, whether from the volume of media requests we have received to the thousands of views that our video continues to get on social media, or the countless phone calls and texts we’ve been getting over the last 24 hours. There can be no doubt that this support highlights the need for all pubs to be supported by Government as we aim to reopen safely ahead of Christmas.”
Marie Mellett, Publican, Mellett’s Emporium commented: “We are proud to be joining publicans around Ireland as we switch on our Christmas lights today at 5pm. Like countless others in the pub trade the team at Mellett’s Emporium have put in endless hours of work and invested heavily in everything we need for a safe reopening. Now all we are asking for is the chance to welcome customers through our doors again this Christmas.”
This campaign is being made possible by the €14M Guinness Raising the Bar fund, a two-year programme that has been available since June 2020 to assist pubs in safely reopening. Outlets can still register to receive supports by logging on to www.mydiageo.com. Almost 5,000 outlets across Ireland have already registered and availed of supports from the Raising the Bar fund since its launch in June. Any pub that registers with the programme will receive a free reopening essentials kit, including 25L of Hand Sanitiser, Serving Trays, Uniforms & Take Away Cups and may also be eligible to receive free outdoor equipment such as parasols, windbreakers and awnings as well as support with staff training.