Perthshire Munro Beanie entrepreneur donates £2K of profits to Scottish Mountain Rescue
A Perthshire entrepreneur behind burgeoning start-up The Munro Beanie has been able to donate over £2,000 to charity Scottish Mountain Rescue since the company’s inception through the donation of £1 for every beanie sold.
Founded by Dunkeld based sports events and fundraising professional Jo Dytch during the pandemic in 2020, the company is inspired by the old Scottish tradition of walkers who stitched a red cross to their woolly hats to record the number of summits they had conquered.
The unisex Munro Beanies are produced by a family run mill in the Scottish Borders and are made from super soft lambswool and include 282 crosses for walkers to stitch over as they summit the mountains of Scotland.
A keen hill walker herself, founder Jo pledged to give £1 from every beanie sold to Scottish Mountain Rescue to continue the invaluable work they do in keeping people safe in the mountains.
Jo said: “The business is a consequence of my love for hillwalking and exploring the Munros and the story I heard a few years ago from a friend’s dad about the old Scottish tradition of hillwalkers marking each summit by stitching a red cross onto their woollen hat. I was captivated by this story and wanted to bring it to life.
“I’m delighted to support the work of Scottish Mountain Rescue, the work they do is simply phenomenal and an invaluable resource for people venturing out into the Scottish hills. Asides from a small permanent team, everyone within Scottish Mountain Rescue are volunteers and give up their time to help keep us safe in the hills. When things go wrong, they are normally the first on the scene. As a keen walker myself, to know they are available in a crisis is incredibly reassuring!
“I have spoken to many people who have been helped by Scottish Mountain Rescue and I have seen first-hand how superb the care is from the charity. I was very keen to support the work of the teams all over Scotland using profits from the Munro Beanie.
“The business is now three years old – the inspiration and history behind The Munro Beanie seems to have really captured people’s imaginations and promote a sense of adventure. I have personally bumped into people wearing the beanies on the hills which is always a little overwhelming!”
Bill Gennie, Chair, Scottish Mountain Rescue said: “We are delighted to partner with Jo Dytch and her innovative Munro Beanies supporting Scottish Mountain Rescue with £1 for each Munro Beanie sold. Jo has already raised over £2,000 for Scottish Mountain Rescue.
The member teams of Scottish Mountain Rescue are made up of highly trained volunteers who give their time, effort and skill free of charge to respond to emergencies. They are there whenever anyone gets into difficulty in the mountains and wild places of Scotland as well as during adverse weather affecting remote communities. Scottish Mountain Rescue teams rely on public support to fund three out of every five rescues. We are so grateful to Munro Beanies and everyone who has supported us by purchasing one, for your vital help in keeping us running.”
The Munro Beanies are available in a variety of colours, and the company also offers headbands which can also be stitched when summits are achieved.
To view the beanies available from The Munro Beanie, please visit the website: www.themunrobeanie.com
