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15.02.2010 - WOOLLEN COFFINS ON ROYAL PARADE

A unique woollen coffin made in Yorkshire attracted royal attention at the official launch of the Wool Project – an international initiative designed to promote wool’s uniquely sustainable features and safeguard the livelihood of the dwindling number of sheep farmers.
Handmade Natural Legacy coffins from Hainsworth in Pudsey launched successfully in America last year and at the Wool Project launch in Cambridgeshire, HRH The Prince of Wales showed a keen interest in this “greenest” funeral casket.

Director Adam Hainsworth said: “The Prince put his weight behind the Mutton Renaissance movement and is now offering similar backing to the new project. He chatted to us for quite a while and expressed an interest in visiting Yorkshire later in the year to take a closer look at our manufacturing operations.”

Adam is a fifth generation Hainsworth involved in the family firm and says: “Sustainable and biodegradable, wool is the perfect choice for people who wish to arrange funerals less harmful to the environment.

“Our products are also an important part of the Wool Project – in the past ten years, the national flock has reduced from 20 million to 14 million sheep. Farmers are scarcely recovering the cost of shearing and, with fewer sheep the countryside is out of balance – most of our national parks maintain their attraction due to prolonged grazing.

“The Natural Legacy coffins have been well received by funeral businesses and bereaved relatives and, following the launch in America, we started exporting to Europe late last year. We’re now sending our first sample products out to the Australian market.”