Stephen Wilson as Training & Development Programme winner

Stephen Wilson from Co. Armagh has been announced as the winner of Ulster Wool’s 2023 Training & Development Programme. 

Last week, Ulster Wool met with Stephen to find out more and discuss his achievement.

Tell us about yourself?

I am 29 years old and from Portadown, Co. Armagh. I am a swimming teacher and teach all ages and abilities. I also shear sheep, mainly for smallholders; this is easier for me to fit in around my work. Scheduling can sometimes be a challenge as shearing is often weather dependent.

After leaving school I attended Greenmount Agricultural College.I didn’t come from a farming background and chose not to pursue agriculture as a career, instead going on to study various other things.

I decided one day that I wanted to learn how to shear sheep as a means of maintaining an interest in agriculture.I attended my first course in Ballycastle a few years back and since then my interest in shearing and wool itself has snowballed from there.

Tell me about your interest in the sheep industry?

My introduction to shearing has given me an interest in wool more widely.  Since then, my desire has grown to learn more about such a wonderful product which unfortunately has been side-lined in favour of synthetic and less environmentally friendly fibres.

We learn from the history books that this nation used to have a booming wool industry.  Its importance is evident in that some of the main privileges for Freemen of a city were special rights to graze or move their sheep.  To this day its legacy remains in the House of Lords. In a tradition dating back nearly 700 years, the Lord Speaker sits on a bale of fleece known as the ‘Woolsack’.

I would like to see a resurgent wool industry within the UK and Ireland, whether for clothing or more innovative uses of the product, and personally contribute to this within the sector.  

What do you like to do in your spare time?

In my spare time (if I have any) I enjoy attending agricultural shows and gardening, in particular fruit growing. Some of the shows I have attended include the Royal Welsh, Royal Ulster and the Irish Ploughing Championships.  In the future I would like to attend more of the prestigious large scale shows in GB and further afield. 

Why did you want to be involved with Ulster Wool Training & Development Programme?

This programme will allow me to further my interest in the industry on several fronts. In addition to the top class training provided by Ulster Wool it offers access to operations generally unseen by the public, helping me develop a fuller understanding of this field. By taking advantage of networking opportunities, I also hope to build contacts with key players within this trade.

What are you looking forward to most within the programme?

I am looking forward to learning from industry experts with many years of experience in this area. I relish the opportunity to educate myself in the processing side of things having only previously seen the initial wool gathering. I hope to follow the cycle right from its beginnings on the sheep’s back through to the processing and onto the manufacturing of wool-based products. I believe that seeing the wool processing chain from start to finish will enable me to become a more effective advocate for the industry. Through my participation, I hope to demonstrate to other young people not only that this field is crucial, but also that it is possible to be involved even if not having come from a farming background.

What do you know about Ulster Wool’s role in the UK sheep industry?

I know of Ulster Wool’s importance in grading every fleece that comes into their depot to get a better return for the farmer. In addition to this they have the task of promoting and marketing wool to get this return. Through involvement with partner organisations such as IWTO and the Campaign for Wool, Ulster Wool can amplify its influence both nationally and internationally.