Mayors bid to spread a little happiness

Navan has a new currency - the currency of happiness - and the public are being urged to spread a little kindness in a bid to promote good mental health.
The Mayor’s Happiness Project was launched last Friday to promote social awareness in the town and encourage a positive, caring community of which all townspeople can be proud.
The Mayor, Cllr Sinead Burke, explains the project is about spreading a little happiness, kindness and promoting good mental health.
Coffee shops and cafés around the town which display window stickers will be selling gold coins for €2. The specially minted golden coins carry the town crest on one side and, on the other, the project’s motto: 'Cup of Human Kindness’.
People will be encouraged to buy the coins and pass them on to friends and family or even strangers in a bid to spread the cup of human kindness.
They can be used as a voucher for a cuppa in the participating coffee shops and cafés. By the end of this week, there will be 18 outlets participating in the scheme.
“We are encouraging people to spread a bit of happiness,” said Cllr Burke. “We want people to purchase the coins and pass them on to people who need a kind gesture. It is aimed at raising good mental health, happiness and kindness levels.
“It gives people a chance to check in with others and say 'you’re looking a bit down - do you want to get yourself a coffee?’,” she said.
The mayor said that people have also been buying the coins and sending them to family and friends abroad to encourage them to come home and spend them in Navan. Discover Ireland also has agreed to promote the unique project through all their media avenues.
“It is about increasing community spirit and encouraging Navan people to show how much they care about each other,” she said.
The local Chamber of Commerce is also involved in promoting the campaign.