Headbands created to support wool industry and charity
© Clare Johns A stylish range of headbands made of Welsh wool has been created to celebrate women in agriculture and raise money for a mental health charity.
The headbands are the brainchild of fashion designer Clare Johns, who uses wool from the rare-breed Ryeland sheep she farms with her husband in Pembrokeshire.
They are on sale at £25 each in a number of different colour combinations. Orders can be made online through the NFU Cymru website.
See also: How to make the most of wool in a depressed market
The branded “She Who Dares… Farms” headbands are the latest in a series of products launched with a percentage of profits going to the DPJ Foundation. Sales of polo shirts and gilets have already raised more than £4,000 for the mental health charity.
“Wool garments are seen as expensive, but this isn’t the case,” Ms Johns said. “They’re an investment and you know exactly where it comes from.
“The products I make, from start to finish, from farm to hanger, the whole process happens in the UK using Welsh wool. Wool from sheep that are bred, reared and sheared on our farm.
“If any extra wool is needed it is sourced from local farmers and makers at a fair price.”
The wool is then sent to a mill in west Wales where it is washed, spun and woven using traditional methods into a quality tweed cloth.
After a clean and press at the finishers, the cloth is sent back to the farm to be transformed into headbands.
Union support
NFU Cymru county adviser Stella Owen said: “With Christmas on its way, this is an ideal opportunity to think about locally sourced products and treat your friends and family, at the same time supporting the fantastic work of the DPJ Foundation.”
The Covid-19 pandemic has had disastrous consequences for the wool industry, which has seen prices plummet, especially for the export market.
Welsh farming unions have welcomed a pledge by the Welsh government to consider using more British wool for insulation in public buildings, but they have asked for further help.