Shropshire Star

Charles hails ‘valuable and sustainable’ virtues of British wool

The prince, who is a patron of The Campaign for Wool, said nature is ‘valuable… as a source of brilliant ideas’.

Published
The Prince of Wales visits Woolcool in Stone, Staffordshire

The Prince of Wales has expressed his delight at the production of natural alternatives to synthetic and artificial products after declaring “we need more British wool”.

Charles outlined the “valuable and sustainable” nature of the material in a short speech after taking a tour around packaging company Woolcool in Stone, Staffordshire.

Prince of Wales visiting Woolcool
Charles learned how Woolcool uses sheep’s wool to create alternative sustainable packaging for food and medicine (Peter Byrne/PA)

The prince, who is a patron of The Campaign for Wool, said nature is “valuable… as a source of brilliant ideas” as he unveiled a plaque to celebrate the company’s 10th anniversary.

He was given a tour of the business where he observed wool felting and met staff on the production line and met sheep farming representatives from the National Trust.

Charles also met the Chief Operating Officer of The Campaign for Wool, Peter Ackroyd, who said the prince was keen for more British wool in products.

Prince of Wales visiting Woolcool
The prince is a patron of The Campaign for Wool (Peter Byrne/PA)

Mr Ackroyd said he believed the prince’s role as patron is “a perfect role for him”.

Before his departure, Charles was given a book on natural materials and a coffee cup made from bamboo by the CEO of Woolcool Angela Morris.

Addressing staff at the company on Friday, the prince said: “I have been enormously impressed by the remarkable degree of ingenuity which is clearly going on in this country in producing fascinating alternatives to synthetic products, artificial products, man-made things, when we rediscover just how valuable nature can be as a source of brilliant ideas.

“For me, having started the wool campaign 12 years ago to remind people of how valuable and sustainable wool is as a fibre and a natural material, I’m particularly thrilled that Woolcool has taken it further and demonstrated just how important that material is.”

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