First tranche of Anniversary Award winners announced

The Wool Clip co-operative has announced the first winners of its 25^th Anniversary Awards. The announcement was made at the opening of The Wool Clip: 25 Years in the Making, an exhibition that will run in the Loft Gallery of Farfield Mill near Sedbergh from 2 September until Sunday 1 November.

The Anniversary Awards team was made up of three co-operative members: Jan Beadle, Chloe Randall and Alice Underwood.

Chloe, who is also Treasurer of the Wool Clip, explains: "We wanted to celebrate our 25^th year in various ways and were keen to encourage others who share our passion for British wool. The exhibition is obviously one focus for our celebrations but we also developed the Awards idea. We very much hope that several relatively small financial awards - £250 each – will be helpful to a range of fledgling businesses across Cumbria."

The fundraising to create the awards "pot" has taken a variety of forms, as Jan explains: "Members of the co-operative created special pieces, sharing a common colour scheme, that have been purchased by our supportive customers from the Caldbeck shop and our online shop to generate some of the funding. We also approached various contacts from over the years and donations came in from a range of people including a supplier, Viridian Distribution, our accountants, Saint & Co, and also current and former members of The Wool Clip."

The deadline for the first tranche of applications was early in August, judging has taken place during the month and the seven winners from across Cumbria were at Farfield Mill on Wednesday 2 September for the announcement.

Karen Britton lives in Kendal and trades as 'Karrie Knitwear'. Her focus is on machine knitting and she will be investing part of her award to improve her displays at craft fairs and her labelling. She will also use part of it to fund Shopify and to start an online shop.

Denise Bryan lives in Kirkby Stephen and trades as 'Flock of Wheels'. A hand spinner and weaver with a workshop at Farfield Mill, she will use her award to help fund a City & Guilds course in Weaving, starting this month. "It was Woolfest, organised by The Wool Clip, that originally sparked my interest in wool," she says, "and I want to explore weave structure and design in my work."

Frances Irving lives in Lamplugh and trades as 'Hefted Handwoven'. She weaves tweed from British wool, including some Herdwick, which she uses to make bags and cushions. The award will mean that she can step up to the next stage, exhibiting and selling at bigger shows as well as her local craft fairs.

Claire Laybourne who trades as LOOM talk, moved to Dent after early retirement and has recently moved into a new workshop at Farfield Mill. She plans to invest the award in specialist upholstery tools for her forthcoming projects. A former yarn shop owner, she has had previous contact with Jean Wildish of The Wool Clip via Skiathos Wool and learnt to weave with Jan Beadle.

Kate Neville is based in Brampton and trades as 'Cairn Cumbria Knitwear'. She has been working alongside Wool Clip member, Julia Neubauer and is an enthusiast for British and rare breed sheep and their undyed wool. She will put the money towards a linker machine, used to create neat seams for knitwear.

Sara Turton trades as 'Ja Lo Lo' and she lives in Kendal. She is a weaver who wants the award funds to purchase equipment to facilitate weaving workshops. She has an ambition to take looms into schools to introduce children to the joy of wool.

Elaine Witts is a hand spinner, weaver and knitter who lives in Levens. She is the current chair of the Lancashire and Lakes Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers (WSD) and is starting a small flock of Shetlands. Elaine will use the award to have her current large collection of local fleeces spun into yarn. "I'd like to make that sheep-to-yarn process the focus of my focus," she says, "working with a network of local farmers."

"We're delighted to have winners from across Cumbria and a number of different crafts represented, each one sharing our own commitment to British wool and traditional techniques," says Alice Underwood, the third Anniversary Awards team member. "The awards are enabling a range of developments including training, equipment purchase, processing and better marketing, just as we'd all hoped."

The Wool Clip 25^th Anniversary Awards are still open for applications (and for donations). The final deadline for entries is on Monday 30^th November and the winners will be announced in December, just before the end of the co-operative's 25^th year. Full details and an application form are on The Wool Clip website in the 25 years section.