To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of The Wool Clip and its Caldbeck shop, we want to support a new generation of wool-based craftspeople in Cumbria by establishing a fund for small grants (Anniversary Awards) to individuals, helping them in their own wool journey.
Can you help?
We are seeking donations to this fund from people and organisations who share our aims, who want to encourage the celebration of wool and support individual enterprise. We're already approaching many of our contacts, partners and past supporters.
Could you support this initiative too?
We very much hope that both individuals and organisations – from Cumbrian farming, from wool producers, from wool users and other makers - will contribute to the Anniversary Award fund. Twenty-five donations of just £50 would enable us to make five awards during 2026. More donations would enable even more awards!
We think that these could make a big difference to Cumbria-based designers, makers and others wanting to work with wool.
Anniversary Awards could be used:
- To pay for a first stand at a craft event;
- To purchase printed labels or leaflets or packaging;
- To invest in an all-important piece of equipment or in raw materials.
- To attend a training course.
Basically, to provide whatever is needed to enable someone to develop their own wool-based business – whether wool production or creating from wool or something in between. We will aim to keep the criteria for the Anniversary Awards simple and clear to attract applicants and to encourage a range of Cumbria-based wool-related businesses to apply.
So you know, we'll be contributing to the fund too.
Each member of The Wool Clip co-operative is working on new product ideas. Sales of the resulting range of 25th anniversary items will raise money for the Anniversary Award fund. We'll be working on the range over our winter break and launching sales in February 2026.
But, for now, we need to raise initial funding through donations so that we know we have money in place before we start promoting the Awards themselves and seeking applicants in March 2026.
How to contribute
All donations to the Anniversary Award fund will be kept separate from The Wool Clip. We have formed an unincorporated association (The Wool Clip Anniversary Award Association) to handle all financial aspects of the Anniversary Awards and we have established a separate bank account for donations (and payment of the Awards) too.
If you would like to make a donation to The Wool Clip Anniversary Award Association, the details of the bank account are:
- name The Wool Clip Anniversary Award Association or WC Anniversary for short,
- sort code 01-02-17,
- account number 27265064
- bank Nat West.
Once a fund is established with at least £500, we will advertise for applicants from within the county of Cumbria, with a maximum award of £250 for each successful applicant. Then – with sufficient support – we would hope to keep this programme rolling throughout our 25th anniversary year.
Acknowledgements to all those who kindly donate to the fund will be displayed both online and at our celebratory exhibition of work, due to take place in September 2026 at Farfield Mill. Of course, if you prefer to remain anonymous, that can be arranged.