This Irish weaver is making joyful rainbow scarves to raise funds for hospice services

Mourne Textiles has designed two rainbow-inspired scarves to help fund vital hospice care, and the designs are a beacon of light in dark times

Mourne Textiles based in County Down are doing their bit at this difficult time by creating a product that not only provides a symbol of positivity, but also is raising funds for hospice care at a time when fundraising has become especially difficult.

The two rainbow scarves the company has created were inspired by the images of rainbows children have drawn and put in their windows to show their support for healthcare workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

All profits from the scarves will be donated to the Northern Ireland Hospice and Children’s Hospice, in response to their ‘Now, More Than Ever’ emergency appeal. As a result of COVID-19 restrictions in place, the Hospice has experienced a devastating impact in their ability to fundraise and have estimated a loss of £10 million in income by the end of 2020, so initiatives like this will really make a difference.

Mourne Textiles is well known as a family business, spanning multiple generations. 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. Although most of their suppliers are not making deliveries, they wanted to design something with what they had to hand, and so created a limited run of rainbow scarves.

Mario Sierra, who continues the legacy of this seventy-year-old textile mill, explained: “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 on the front line and also served as a symbol of hope during this global crisis.”

With two designs, one with rainbow stripes across its width and the other with a more subtle rainbow stripe, you can choose the ones that suits your style best. Both are available exclusively from the Mourne Textiles website, for €68.80. A lovely gesture of hope and support during difficult times.

Images: Tara Fisher

Read more: Instagram flea markets and online sewing classes: how Sustainable Fashion Dublin is thriving during Covid-19

Read more: 15 of the most luxurious socks for WFH cosiness

Read more: 5 homegrown Irish designers you can support during the pandemic