With a lot of ‘new blood’ in the Skibbereen Chamber of Commerce, chairman John O’Driscoll is proud to promote the fact that the voucher scheme run by the group, which is a local alternative to the ubiquitous ‘One4All’, is a hugely successful one.
To date, vouchers to the value of almost €163,000 have been sold, which guarantees that money will be spent in affiliated businesses in the town.
The vast majority of this money has already been redeemed since the inception of the scheme in December 2020, no small feat considering that this period covers the Covid years.
The scheme, which benefits from the tax-incentive ‘Small Benefit Exemption’ scheme, saw vouchers sold to businesses to the value of €27,370 in 2024, and in 2023, €21,250.
Promoting the success of the voucher scheme, the chamber is now making a renewed call for businesses to join their cohort.
‘A rising tide lifts all boats,’ says chairman John, O’Driscoll, ‘and more visitors to the town directly or indirectly, benefits all businesses. There’s a lot of new blood in the chamber.
The annual fee is not big money, but it means being part of something a bit bigger and it’s part of having a voice; a buy-in to the local economy’.
John’s father, John O’Driscoll (Snr) was a founding member of the chamber and, meeting with The Southern Star in The Ludgate, his son joined the chamber last year.
‘Until I joined, I had no idea of the number of things the chamber is involved in’ says the younger John. The voucher scheme ‘has been huge’ as well as the fact that the chamber organised the first St Patrick’s Day parade to be held in a number of years.
They are also the group that is behind the Christmas lights each year, with a walking festival planned for the end of September and, all going well, a food festival in August.
They are partners in the Skibbereen Arts Festival, and also support the annual Darkness into Light runs while other festivals and days can ‘leverage’ off of the Chamber of Commerce by providing insurance.
The group are just one of a number in the town who are actively working to get the town hall reopened too, and are responsible for the music on the bridge which enlivens the street year-round.
‘You couldn’t move in Skibbereen on St Patrick’s Day’ says John. ‘It was wedged, and a lot of businesses saw the benefits from that. There’s a lot of good stuff being done. If grant opportunities come up, we can show that we’re a vibrant community’.
The chamber website has a couple of thousand visitors a month while its social channels have over 13,000 followers.
Meanwhile the tourist office, which is operated by the Chamber of Commerce, welcomed 3,756 visitors last year, many of them from the whole island of Ireland and the UK, but there was strong representation from visitors from Germany, France, the USA, and the Netherlands as well.
Membership is €240 a year. To join, contact Kate at the Chamber of Commerce at [email protected].
