A Powys weaver has won an award for her new product – wool coffins.
Eleanor Hunt from Llandrindod Wells who runs Wool Coffins has picked up the Green Funeral Product/Company of the year award from the Good Funeral Awards, with her unique creations set to become more widely available.
Eleanor said she came up with the idea when she worked in local farms when she moved to the area a few years ago.
“I came up with the idea working as a farmhand in spring,” said Eleanor. “I saw how incredibly hard wool farmers were working and I was thinking of ways wool could be used more.
“Following Covid, I just saw the same coffin over and over and I just wanted to create something that was warmer and more beautiful.”
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She experimented with different techniques and materials to create the coffins and a set of urns before coming across the idea to create a wool rope that would make it structurally secure.
“It has all been about refining the process,” said Eleanor. “It currently takes about a day to weave the coffin and another to create the lining. The urns have a double calico lining.
“People are fascinated by the use of wool because its not what they expect.”
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Wool Coffins, which are a part of Eleanor’s larger business the Woollen Cwtch Company, have now received full accreditation to be used at funerals and Eleanor is now hoping this will allow her business to grow.
A key part of her business model is the Farmers' Wool Fund which is a ringfenced part of the price which goes to help support wool farmers in the UK.
Money from this fund is used exclusively for supporting British agricultural projects, charities, and helping to increase the returns all UK farmers receive for their wool.
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