Vicar welcomes six lambs to congregation
A church on the Isle of Wight, which last year, adopted six sheep in a move to be more environmentally friendly has seen their flock grow by another six.
The Rev Ali Morley from St Mary's Church, Brading, brought in the sheep last November as a way of keeping down the cost of grass-cutting in the churchyard. It was also a way of connecting with the community who could come and learn more about sheep and lambing.
Now the six ewes have given birth to lambs, which means The Reverend has an even larger flock to take care of. But Ali, who has experience in animal husbandry, and a team of volunteers from the church are taking it in their stride.
Ali said: "We were incredibly lucky because we have a field next to the churchyard that we could put the sheep in - just 0.6 of an acre. I've got some experience, but people came out of the woodwork and we ended up with a very experienced team of volunteers".
The environmentally-friendly congregation at St Helens Church, in the village of St Helens, has already been presented with a prestigious Gold Award for their commitment to green issues.
And the church hall at St Mary's Church, Brading, was turned into a permanent market selling Fairtrade, ecological and ethical products during the recent lockdowns.