Carlisle News and Star

A Cumbrian business that turns sheep’s wool into insulation for buildings has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

Second Nature, of Dacre near Penrith, is one of only 112 companies nationwide to be honoured in the UK’s most prestigious business awards.

Its product, Thermafleece, won in the “sustainable developments” category for environmentally-friendly innovations.

Second Nature’s founder, Christine Armstrong, said: “We are ambitious for and passionate about Thermafleece.

“I hope that winning will encourage the construction industry to recognise that environmental building materials are able to compete in the commercial world.”

She hit on the idea of Thermafleece while restoring a 17th century farmhouse with her partner, David Baldry.

They found that all all-wool insulation was imported and saw a gap for a UK product.

The process, developed with Leeds University, uses coarse wool from native sheep breeds, such as Herdwicks and Swaledales, which might otherwise be burned as it is too coarse for the textile industry.

Thermafleece is manufactured in Bradford but Miss Armstrong runs the business from an office near her home, employing six people.

She has a target of £2 million annual sales by 2008.

Customers include the National Trust, which uses Thermafleece in conservation and restoration work.

The material is recyclable, controls condensation, is fire and insect proof and is warm in winter and cool in summer.

It is also energy efficient to produce, using just 14 per cent of the energy required to manufacture fibreglass insulation, and can be installed without masks or gloves.

Miss Armstrong will attend a reception in London tomorrow for Queen’s Award winners, hosted by the Duke of Kent.

She has previously won the national Women Mean Business Award and an award from Country Living magazine for enterprising rural women.

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