‘Lovely surprise’ as  charity volunteer wins €1,000 Carndonagh gift card

A volunteer with Foróige has won a €1,000 Carndonagh gift card in a Dream Christmas competition organised by the Carndonagh Traders’ Association.

Carndonagh resident Laura Duncan is looking forward to spending the gift card in the town, and says it’s a timely reminder of the importance of shopping local: “I saw the competition advertised on the Visit Carndonagh Facebook page when I was buying tickets for a Traders’ Association event to support the town. I entered, never thinking anything would come of it because I never win anything.  

“The Carndonagh Gift Card is a fabulous thing for our town because it offers lots of choice and it keeps our businesses open. If local businesses aren’t trading, local people will suffer because there will be nothing here for them, we’d lose jobs and that would have an impact on every age group.

“When I’ve used the gift card in the past, I found it to be very good and very easy to use. It was just like using any bank card and I appreciate that businesses don’t have to pay to accept the card or even to be a part of the programme.

“I’ll be spending my €1,000 Carndonagh Gift Card in as many businesses as I can, giving back to the businesses that give to us. I couldn’t choose a favourite business in Carndonagh because they are all equally important.”

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Mum of four Laura is also the club volunteer with the charity Foróige, Ireland’s leading youth development organisation, where she operates two youth clubs for 10-17-year-olds in Carndonagh.

“The gift card win is a lovely surprise,” adds Laura. “It is so unexpected, a great start to Christmas and I’ll be sure to spend the card on lots of treats in Carndonagh to make Christmas extra special.”

Deirdre Bradley, chairperson of the Carndonagh Traders’ Association and owner of clothes shop Deirdre’s At The Diamond, said: “Laura is a passionate shop local advocate and does a huge amount for our community through her voluntary work with Foróige. At the Traders’ Association, we’re all thrilled to see Laura win this prize, it is very well deserved.”

The Carndonagh Gift Card is part of the award-winning Town & City Gift Cards scheme from fintech Miconex. Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex and said: “Our Win Your Dream Christmas competition is a celebration of the power of local, and a timely reminder that everything we need for a Dream Christmas is on our doorsteps. It’s fantastic to see a community minded individual like Laura win the prize. Congratulations to Laura and her family this festive season.”