A fantastic showcase ‘ewe’ won’t want to miss
Balmoral Show will play host to Wool Innovators showcase, celebrating work from over 10 primary schools across Northern Ireland
On Wednesday, May 15, the 155th Balmoral Show will play host to the Wool Innovators showcase, celebrating work from over 10 primary schools across Northern Ireland, who have been learning about the local wool industry.
The Wool Innovators pilot, launched by Sentinus in collaboration with Ulster Wool and sponsored by The Worshipful Company of Woolmen, was developed to help young children learn more about how wool is harvested, why it is crucial for animal welfare and where it is commonly used.
Schools taking part in the project and due to showcase their work at this year’s Balmoral Show are:
Ballymacward Primary School, Lisburn
Carrick Primary School, Burren
Carryduff Primary School, Carryduff
Hamiltonsbawn Primary School, Hamiltonsbawn
Kilmoyle Primary School, Ballybogey
Loanends Primary School, Lylehill
McKinney Primary School, Crumlin
Newtownstewart Model Primary School, Newtownstewart
St Anne's Primary School Corkey, Ballymena
St Colman's & All Saints' NU, Annaclone
St John's Primary School, Moy
St Mary’s Primary School Teemore, Fermanagh
St Oliver Plunkett Primary School, Belfast
Thanks to the strong cultural, geographic and economic significance of Northern Ireland’s long-standing wool industry, the topic of wool harvesting and production lends itself well to science and technology projects. Learners taking part in the pilot had the opportunity to delve into the natural material’s common properties, explore its versatility and dispel common myths around how it is harvested and the impact this has on animal welfare.
Teacher Katie White from Loanends Primary School, Lylehill said: “My class thoroughly enjoyed their visit from Jayne at Ulster Wool and Gerard from Sentinus, as they took part in different experiments with the wool. We have also been busy putting together our display board for the Show. It’s been nice for us as a rural school to celebrate the work of our farming families and include some photos of our children hard at work with their family flocks.”
The Wool Innovators showcase will be available to view on Wednesday, May 15 within the Shearing Pavilion at the 2024 Balmoral Show.
The Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank will return to the Eikon Exhibition Centre showgrounds from Wednesday, May 15 to Saturday, May 18, 2024. All tickets should be purchased online in advance of the Show at www.balmoralshow.co.uk