A sheep and arable farmer from Kent has been appointed the new Chairman of the British Wool.
Trevor Richards, a third generation farmer from Ashford, is an active member of his local farming community.
He is currently Chairman of the Ashford Cattle Market Company, and previously chairman of the Romney Sheep Breeder’s society.
He manages the family farm, Lacton Manor, in partnership with his wife, Jane, running a flock of 400 breeding ewes including Romney’s and Suffolk-cross Mules.
British Wool is based in Bradford and is owned by approximately 40,000 sheep farmers in the UK.
It collects, grades, sells and promotes British Wool to the international wool textile industry for use in flooring, furnishings and apparel.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr Richards said: “I’m delighted to be elected as Chairman. My father was a British Wool board member, and I’m very proud to continue the tradition.
“It’s an exciting time for British Wool, and I am looking forward to continuing the implementation of our new strategy, which is designed to promote the benefits of British wool at all levels of the supply chain, particularly targeting consumers.
“As always, we are firmly focused on ensuring producers are able to maximise the value of their wool. We are also dedicated to building the long term future of the industry for future generations, and will soon be announcing details of our New Entrant’s Scheme, an initiative specifically designed to support first-time wool producers.”
Before being appointed as British Wool’s Chairman, Mr Richards was elected as regional committee representative for Kent in 2002, becoming board member for the English Southern region in 2011, and elected Vice-Chairman in 2015.
