Wool - Future Facing Heritage

British Wool is misunderstood.  

The industry is in decline.

Our wool is undervalued.

Britain have 30 million sheep and a diverse clip of over 70 breeds - the most diverse in the world.

We have the fourth biggest clip globally and Wales alone is 3 times the size of the US and Canada

The average farm has 500 sheep, the priority is lamb (meat)

The wonders of wool are widely known, naturally sustainable, biodegradable, wellness .. etc

Yet it only accounts for less than 1% of textiles made globally - dwarfed by PLASTIC!

British Wool is NOT Merino (we only have a few Merino Sheep) it is thicker and stronger

Merino is the heart of the Australian & New Zealand industry - fine micron and perfect for garments.  They are different, with different uses - both are fabulous. 

Our local industrial support system has been in decline.

It costs more to shear our sheep than farmers get for the wool (ave 40p/kg = 80p per sheep)

So we need to explore opportunity.

It is an abundant sustainable local resource.

Jacqui worked in the fashion and textile business up to board level for over 20 years

She has worked with wool for over 30 years - including British Wool

She has been a successful knitwear buyer with a budget of  £multi million  + 

She worked with wool industry and manufacturing all over the world from Australia to Taiwan, China and Europe.

She understood the commercial dynamics, but also the decline in structure, lack of consumer understanding and need for change.

In 2021 she started to focus on research and discussions with collaborators and clients.

Jacqui has lobbied for a WOOL - Cross Party Group - within the Senedd.  This is a formal political body within the Senedd Cymru - Welsh Parliament - and a touchstone for forward policy and discussion and includes her bringing together key organisations within the Wool Sector in Wales who are also part of the group.

This was one of her key objectives that supports the Wool Industry as a whole and is important in bringing WOOL onto the agenda of any and all departments of Government.

The group was founded with support from Plaid Cymru Cefin Campbell MS, and other MS' from Welsh Conservatives, Welsh Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

Cefin also sponsored a Wool Event at the Senedd in November 2022 and we thank him and his team for their ongoing support in driving these objectives into fruition.