A GROUP of women weavers and rug makers from Bedale have become part of a unique interfaith exhibition uniting groups from Britain and Pakistan.

The group at St Gregory’s Church, which has contacts with Touchstone in Bradford, were one of dozens asked to make rugs for a project called Weaving Women’s Wisdom.

Bedale curate Linda Robinson said:”It’s been remarkable, a group of us got together and while we’re very aware of being an all white group, the project has involved all faiths, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and it has brought them all together and it has been a very good way of showing we share a common humanity.

“We all have women who have influenced us and we have discussed that as we’ve made the rug. We decided to do one with a Wensleydale scene, using the theme of Julian of Norwich a medieval female monk who had a profound faith that all would be well and of course that is how it turned out.”

Group member Lesley Bottomley said:”I had recently moved here and it really helped to bring us together, we talked as we worked and ended up with a real bond.”

Jackie Warden added:”It has made us think about other faiths and what they go through, and how we can help each other. And to see so many other rugs that have been made by women in groups like ours is wonderful.”

The exhibition will be at Patrick Brompton Church on Friday May 6, eventually the aim is to sew all the rugs together to make one large rug, with an exhibition about the project in the Houses of Parliament.