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Premiership clubs back paper's bid to beat downturn

A recession-busting campaign aimed at encouraging readers to “think local” to beat the downturn has been launched in the North-East this week – with the help of Premiership footballers.

Trinity Mirror daily The Journal is hoping its readers will ‘Think North East First’ and is running a series of features highlighting the best the region has to offer.

Day one of the campaign on Saturday called for readers to show their support for the region by holidaying there rather than elsewhere in the UK or overseas.

And Sunday’s big Derby match between Newcastle and Sunderland saw the players warm up wearing T-shirts emblazoned with customised versions of the campaign logo – giving it national coverage on Sky Sports.

The Journal is continuing the initiative with a series of articles encouraging readers to buy goods and services that are produced in the region, visit local attractions and always Think North East First.

Editor Brian Aitken said: “The North East is rich in terms of wonderful places for days out and holidays and boasts a vast array of suppliers of all sorts of goods and services.

“Now, it is more important than ever that the public come to realise the tremendous value they can add to the regional economy by thinking a little more carefully about how they spend their money.

“We know that the economy is going through a difficult time, but this is a relatively easy, and cost-efficient, way for people to do their bit to help and it builds on the success we have already had with Taste.”

The Journal’s Taste campaign, which celebrated its first birthday at the weekend, has spent the past year highlighting the region’s home-produced food and drink.

Under the banner ‘Buy Local, Use Local, Eat Local’, the campaign has helped to attract 34,000 people to three food and drink festivals.

And last month The Journal joined forces with regional development agency One North East to launch the campaign ‘Real Help for Businesses Now’, signposting companies to the advice and financial aid that is available them.

High-profile backers of the campaign include the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, the North East Chamber of Commerce, Sir John Hall and car manufacturer Nissan.

Brian added: “We have been hugely encouraged by the reaction so far to this new campaign. “I believe that this is a cause that the whole of the region can rally behind and help us to make a tangible difference to the North East economy.”

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