Devon Environmental Business Initiative......

I entered the awards after lots of arm twisting.....

I knew that lots of huge and top businesses entered......like the National Trust and Paignton Zoo (who won last year)......

So when we were shortlisted in the Environmental Goods and Services category I was amazed....

Off we went last night to the awards ceremony to collect our certificate for being a finalist....

But to my total shock we won the category....

We then watched the other categories being presented with their awards and thought wow!

And then the announced the overall winner for 2009.......

And it was 'The Woolly Shepherd'........and there was a picture of me and my logo up on the big screen......gobsmacked!

Thanks to everyone who reads the blog and supports us by buying our products......this is just amazing!

Sheeps wool insulation was discussed on a programme called Countryfile on the BBC last night! At last people are realising that sheeps wool is as good if not better than man made materials and other more damaging to the environment materials!!!The U value is very comparable with rockwool yet the energy used to make it is 85% less....!!! I make this from 100% British sheeps wool.....better than that even is that a fair price is paid to a lot of the farmers from whom I buy direct!......and ALL the wool in our insulation is from West Country farms!! - cuts the fibre miles down to a minimum! So if you need some....let me know! Have sold a batch of Ouessants to Essex recently including one of the French ewes who arrived in 2007 and the original ones i bought. Concentrating on a few white ones and some of the tiny black ones. im not really missing the big ladies....but have just bought some coloured Wensleydales!

More good news! I have been awarded a loan by the Fredericks Foundation
to buy a needle felting machine!!! We will now be able to process all the waste cut offs from our insulation and make more!!! Of course this is a small machine, a mere 60 inches wide, but it will be brilliant! We can also make prefelts and very detailed fashion felt on this machine as it can process metre after metre in a continuous roll!....Wicked!

I also want to have a bit of a rant about homelessness......
Inspired by something that has happened locally......

There is a lovely family that are homeless....yes really....in 2009.....without water and sanitation....and with only basic cooking facilities....
A situation originally caused by circumstances involving domestic abuse, violence and debt...
A family who have picked themselves up, do not 'live off the state' but work hard in the casual work found across the west country, mostly horticultural seasonal work.
They are seen as theives, scroungers, mingers, which they most certainly not....by some and genuinely in need by others....yet no one will let them rent their available houses......in an area full of second homes and holiday lets....all standing empty whilst a small boy smiles and says....'I'm just a bit hungry'.......