* Sheep ready for shearing at Pentredwr.
A community group is to showcase a special project to make better use of
a valuable natural asset at this year’s Flint and Denbigh Show.
Pentredwr and District Community Association applied for Lottery funding
for the Hwb project which is now half way through its two-year life.
The association has numerous community aims centred around rural
isolation and depravation and one aspect members are looking at is local Welsh
Mountain grade fleece, an underused, undervalued and sustainable, fibre.
* Wool sacks in storage on the farm.
And to help raise public awareness of this natural fibre, they are
showcasing some alternative uses for hill grade fleece at the show, accompanied
by Gill Britten of Gwlângollen.
A spokesperson said: “Hwb
Pentredŵr is a project delivered jointly by Pentredŵr and District Community
Association and Glwângollen.
“We
are working towards securing community prosperity by developing rural skills
and enterprise, addressing rural isolation, supporting digital inclusion and
access to services thereby strengthening the community.
“Sheep production is
central to farming in the valley and surrounding area, and shearing is
essential to ensure the wellbeing and health of our local flocks.
“Exploring the wider
uses of locally produced Welsh Mountain fleece is a key element of the work we
are doing.
“In total, there are
almost 120 different grades of wool in Britain. Within each style of
wool, fleeces are graded by quality with judgements made across a range of
characteristics.
“Our Welsh Mountain sheep
must survive in sometimes harsh conditions on the hills, so the wool tends to
be much coarser than many other grades of fleece. Consequently, due to its
coarser nature, hill grade fleece is generally used in the manufacture of
carpets.”
The spokesperson added:
“Our local wool is a totally natural, durable, sustainable, biodegradable fibre
which is remarkably deemed as next to worthless in the current market.
“Prices per kilo for wool
have been steadily falling for many years whereas years ago the annual wool
cheque would have covered rental for a farm, today, hill grade fleece in our
area achieves on average 13p a kilo, meaning a whole fleece is worth only 26-30p.
“Each sheep costs at
least £1 to shear. Shearing is a very skilled job and extremely hard work. In addition,
many man hours are required to gather and sort the sheep during the shearing
season.
“HwbPentredŵr and
Gwlângollen, with the support of a group of local farmers, are
driving forward ideas which may eventually lead to development of a small local
wool processing plant, thereby giving this brilliant fibre the respect and
recognition it so deserves.”
Representatives from
Hwb Pentredŵr and Gwlângollen will be manning two separate stands at the Flint and
Denbigh Show on Thursday August 18, showcasing Welsh Mountain Fleece, some
stages of its preparation and also ideas of possible alternative uses.
They are inviting visitors
to call and see them on stand K39. Gill from Gwlângollen
will be in the Farmers Union of Wales tent.
There are numerous,
varied events and workshops going on at Pentredŵr.
For further details of these follow Hwb Pentredŵr, Pentredŵr and District
Community Association and Gwlângollen Facebook pages.
Hwb Pentredŵr is also
on Instagram. Websites: hwb.Pentredwr.co.uk; Pentredwr.co.uk and gwlangollen.wixsite.com