Last updated 22:08, Tuesday, 13 May 2008

Diminutive vicar Sarah Lunn doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty as she ministers to the farming community in the Eden Valley.

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Regular visitor: Sarah Lunn with James Atkinson at Low Howgill near Penrith

Her small hands were a huge help recently when she was asked to step in during lambing time to help with some awkward births.

It’s a year since Sarah was appointed as the Church of England’s first rural officer for the archdeaconry of Carlisle and she is gradually picking up the farming lingo.

One day of her week is devoted to farmers in the Eden Valley and beyond. She is also the vicar of a number of parishes, including Milburn and its congregation of between 20 and 30 people.

Vicars in rural parishes used to have close connections to farming communities, but as parishes have more than trebled in size, the spare time they have available has fallen accordingly.

Sarah made auction marts one of her first priorities and attended for six weeks before farmers began to trust and talk to her.

She said: “Going to the auction marts, you learn such a lot. Sometimes a dog collar can be a barrier but sometimes it’s useful.

“People know you have been selected for a position of trust. I don’t care what religion anyone is, it’s about engendering the sense of community. I’m not an out and out evangelist.

“If you’re there, then you gain the trust of farmers. A farmer from Kendal died at 46 from cancer and I was at Kirkby Stephen mart to talk to the other farmers.

“It’s important to have someone there who understands the issues, the community and the way it works.”

Her aim is to set up chaplaincies at all the marts and she is searching for volunteers to run them.

Gaining the trust and friendship of farmers is her aim so that in the bad times, such as foot and mouth in 2001, the church is in a better position to help.

She said: “I’m not exactly a social worker, but if you listen and learn, you see how people are and might be able to suggest something.

“I’ve ended up doing things like filling in Single Farm Payment application forms. Farmers find paperwork so difficult.”

As well as being adviser to the Bishop of Carlisle on rural matters, Sarah is planning strategically for the worst.

She added: “Part of my role is to help other clergy understand how best to deal with agricultural emergencies that arise.”

During last year’s foot and mouth outbreak, she sent out regular briefings to clergy around Cumbria. She advised them not to go onto farms, but to send cards with their best wishes to local farmers.

The Methodist Church and United Reformed Church also have rural officers in the county and the Church of England will appoint another later in the year.

As part of her work, Sarah has supported farmers during visits by Trading Standards and state vets.

“Farmers tend to find these visits extremely frightening. I helped one farming family and ended up doing the farm inspection with the state vets.

“I’m there to take the side of the farmer but in a balanced way.”

Jane Taylor farms with her husband John and son Joe at Low Howgill, near Penrith. It’s a 700-acre sheep and arable farm.

Sarah is a regular visitor to the farm and even helped out at lambing time.

Mrs Taylor said: “I would not say I’m particularly religious, but I’m on the PCC at church and I’m a regular church-goer.

“Farming can be very isolating; people don’t go to the auction marts as much as they want to.

“It is important to have someone in the community who understands all the issues. Who else would do this if it wasn’t a vicar.”

n If you are interested in helping set up an auction mart chaplaincy, contact Sarah on 01768 885253.