[L]ocal farmers and rural communities are set to benefit from money raised on Black Friday.
Usually a time about discounts and retail sales, business leaders Diane and Spencer Hannah focussed instead on raising awareness and money for their soon to be charitable foundation, the herdyfund.
£50 was pledged from each sale of a herdysleep mattress over the Black Friday period. The mattress itself is a socially conscious product that utilises often discarded herdwick wool and pays farmers above market value for the fleeces.
The money raised will be used by the herdyfund to support rural Cumbrian communities and upland fell farmers. The fund was set up by Herdy’s co-founders Diane and Spencer Hannah on the first day they launched the now iconic and lovable Lake District brand, Herdy. The fund has already created a gene bank for herdwick sheep, funded dry stone walling apprenticeships and created economic relationships between fell farmers and big business.
Diane Hannah explained: “The smiling face of a Herdwick was the inspiration for our business so it felt right to us that we give something back to the place that started everything. The fund has been operating for over ten years and we’re proud of the difference it has made already. We’ve grown to know the fell farmers and better understand what will help Cumbria’s rural communities. In Spring the herdyfund will become a formal charitable fund under the Cumbria Community Foundation umbrella and we’re very excited about our upcoming plans to help create innovative solutions that will safeguard our traditional communities for the years to come.”
