Background

Manufacturing business Chimney Sheep was founded 12 years ago by Sally Phillips. At the time, Sally was working as an ecologist specialising in bat conservation, a job that often took her into fire places and chimneys.

While doing this work, she realised how much heat is lost from properties through chimneys. Sally found that, similar to having a window open all year round, an open chimney draws warm air out of a house, making heating more expensive and increasing CO2 emissions.

Sally decided to create a sustainable solution to this problem and developed the Chimney Sheep, a removable draught excluder designed for chimneys made from Herdwick wool. Previously considered a waste product, Herdwick wool is naturally insulating and durable, making it the perfect material for the job. 

Since launching the Chimney Sheep, Sally’s business has expanded significantly, selling draught excluders around the world and introducing a range of other products made from Herdwick wool, from dog beds to gardening equipment.

The need for investment

Over the past six years, Sally has purchased wool directly from local farmers. This helps ensure a constant supply and also means that farmers receive a better price. However, without proper storage facilities, coordinating the collection, processing, and haulage of wool was a logistical challenge.

To solve this, Sally planned to build a dedicated wool shed on Chimney Sheep’s premises in Workington. Having an on-site facility would allow the business to receive wool whenever farmers had it available, eliminating logistical bottlenecks.

Additionally, Sally wanted to invest in two key pieces of machinery: a wool press to make haulage more cost-effective by compacting wool and a wool pelleting machine, allowing for the recycling of waste wool into pellets which can be sold as a natural slug and snail deterrent for gardens and for retaining moisture in potted plants.

The grant and application process

To fund this expansion, Chimney Sheep applied for a grant scheme with Cumbria Business Growth Hub, funded by the Rural England Prosperity Fund, provided through Cumberland Council. Sally received £59,894.32, covering 50% of the costs of the project.

Sally Phillips said: “The grant application process was straightforward, and I was supported by one of Cumbria Business Growth Hub’s advisers, Adrian Luckham. Any grant application requires pulling together a lot of information in a short time, but we managed it smoothly.”

Getting Started

The original plan was to construct a traditional steel frame shed. However, a site survey found that ground conditions at the site were not well suited and the additional groundwork would have made the project too expensive. Instead, Sally opted for a lighter aluminium frame shed, which can be securely pinned down. 

Construction on the shed is now complete and the wool press and pellet machine will arrive on site this week.

Impact of the Investment

• Improved cash flow and efficiency: Instead of processing all wool at once, the business is now able to store, wash, and process wool as needed, avoiding large outlays.

• Solving logistical challenges: Chimney Sheep no longer needs to coordinate between multiple farmers, hauliers, and processors.

• New product development: The wool pelleting machine enables Chimney Sheep to monetise waste wool and diversify their product range.

Job creation: The investment is expected to create new job opportunities. Chimney Sheep’s workforce fluctuates seasonally, with higher demand in winter. The ability to produce wool pellets year-round will help provide more consistent employment.