Campaign For Wool

herdy are fully behind the Campaign for Wool, which aims to promote the benefits of wool for fashion, interiors and the built environment. Not only is wool beautiful to look at and a great insulator, it's also natural, long lasting, renewable, and when it comes to the end of it's life, it's biodegradable.

The Campaign for Wool involves designers, retailers and wool manufacturers working together to promote the wonderful properties that wool has to offer, and was initiated by HRH The Prince of Wales. He believes that choosing real wool is the sustainable choice, and will also help to support sheep farming as an industry.

In areas such as the Lake District, farmers do a tough job grazing flocks of sheep to maintain the open landscape and diverse wildlife habitat, but they see little benefit in return. Prices paid to farmers for herdwick wool in recent years have been as low as 5p per fleece, while the cost of shearing is approximately 80p per animal. Without farmers taking care of the landscape, the whole economy of areas such as the Lake District is less sustainable.

The herdy company aims to support farmers by making the best use of wool - one of the UK's greatest assets, and creating woollen products with modern appeal, such as the 100% pure wool throws. Their contemporary design aims to appeal to all ages and we hope that items like these will become something that people treasure and pass on to their children and grandchildren, so that this traditional material continues to be valued in the future.

To support the Campaign for Wool, herdy sent a flock of willow Herdwick sheep from the Lake District hundreds of miles south to feature in the world famous shop, Liberty of London during National Wool Week in 2010. Look out for woolly events around the country during Wool Week 2011 from 5-11 September, and also International Wool Week 3-10 October.