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SELKIRK FIRM HELPS THE HEROES
Dougie Young, Lochcarron sales manager, with the company's new Help for Heroes tartan.
A SELKIRK mill has answered the call to produce a tartan for Britain’s largest charity supporting wounded servicemen and women.
The Help for Heroes range will be officially launched at Edinburgh Castle in the coming weeks, but The Wee Paper has received a sneak preview of the garments made by Dunsdale Road firm Lochcarron.
Royalties from sales of the products – inspired by the colours of the army, navy and air force – will be handed to the Wiltshire-based benevolent fund, which has so far raised £124million in just five years to provide numerous services for thousands of UK soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Lochcarron sales manager Dougie Young said: “A business in Edinburgh called GB Tailoring is run by two ex-military guys who approached us with the concept to set up a tartan for Help for Heroes.The design is influenced by the colours of the army, navy and air force, with the GB Tailoring guys and ourselves working on it for around a year.
“We put a programme together to show them what we could do and then managed to get word from Help for Heroes that we would be an official supplier for the charity. They have been very supportive and I think they will promote the new tartan on their website.”
As part of the negotiations, Dougie – a former Olympic boxer – was part of a group who visited one of Help for Heroes’ personal recovery and assessment centres at Tedworth House.
And seeing the support offered by the charity first-hand persuaded Dougie and his employers Lochcarron to go ahead with the tartan project.
Dougie added: “It was an old Victorian building, but I couldn’t believe the facilities on offer inside for servicemen and women wounded in action.
“It was first class and showed how much Help for Heroes had spent, for the right reasons, on supporting those injured while serving their country.
“We realised then that this was a fantastic opportunity for us to help the charity.”
Lochcarron, who 12 months ago brought out a Manchester City tartan worn by manager Roberto Mancini to recognise Souter Bobby Johnstone’s time at the Premiership leaders, will display its latest garments at Scotland’s Trade Fair this Sunday in Glasgow’s SECC Arena.
Dougie added: “I like the tartan and I think it will sell well as an accessory item such as a scarf, although you never know. The kilt does look quite striking, so it may also be popular.”
Lochcarron expects to have the Help for Heroes tartan available to buy at its Selkirk visitor centre from next month.
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Weather for Selkirk
Wednesday 22 February 2012
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