Mourne Textiles weave rainbows of hope for the Hospice charities

Thanks to the innovation of the Newry business, the beautiful scarfs will be sold exclusively on the Mourne Textiles website with all the sale profits being donated to the Northern Ireland Hospice and Children’s Hospice.

Three generations of the family run business are currently in isolation together, in their home and hand weaving workshop, at the foothills of the Mourne Mountains.

Mario Sierra who continues the legacy of this seventy-year-old textile mill hopes the rainbow scarfs will not only help the community going through the pandemic but also offer them unite and strength during these troubled times.

He commented: “In these extraordinary times, my wife, Tara and I wanted to find a way to help those in our community that have been impacted by COVID-19.

“Following discussions with my mother and other family members, the idea of us all coming together to collectively create a unique, handwoven, fundraising product, started to take shape.

“As with much of the country, most of our suppliers have closed their doors, so we had to be able to weave a product with existing yarns and complete the sewing and fringing process on site. We also wanted to make a product that is both affordable and synonymous with our brand.

“As a family, we were in agreement that a rainbow scarf was the product of choice, as this could be worn to demonstrate support for those who are working on the frontline and also served as a symbol of hope during this global crisis.”

Mourne Textiles luxurious rainbow scarves blend soft yarns and the colours and textures draw inspiration from the rainbow which has become an important symbol.

Each piece is individually handwoven on vintage shuttle looms, almost a century old, that create a rich weave full of character and a hard-wearing woven selvedge, or self-finished edge.

During the planning process, Mario and Tara were made aware of the ‘Now, More than Ever’ emergency appeal launched by the Northern Ireland Hospice and Children’s Hospice.

Every year the Hospice supports over 4000 babies, children and adults with life limiting or life-threatening conditions.

The spread of COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the charity’s income.

With fundraising events postponed and charity shops closed, the funds that the Hospice heavily relies on have stopped.

Mario added: “Sadly in recent years my wife and I have lost close family members and friends to terminal illness and during these times we have witnessed just how critical hospice work is.

“The Northern Ireland Hospice and Children’s Hospice is an incredible organisation whose vital care services are at risk, we knew instantly that all proceeds of our fundraise would be donated in response to this appeal.”

To find out more about Mourne Textiles or to purchase a fundraising rainbow scarf please visit www.mournetextiles.com

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