Plough Sunday raises awareness of farming charity
Local parishioners and members of the agricultural community came together to celebrate the new farming year at a Plough Sunday service held at Reaseheath College.
Reaseheath Principal Meredydd David, Rev Anne Lawson and Georgina Lamb celebrate Plough Sunday
A packed congregation gathered in the Nantwich college’s historic Old Hall to take part in the service and afterwards enjoyed a soup and bread lunch. The event was held in support of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI), a leading agricultural charity which helps farmers in financial difficulty. A total of £454 was raised for the charity, with Reaseheath donating £210 from the sale of lunch and the remainder coming from those who attended.
The service was conducted by Rev Anne Lawson, Vicar of the cross country parishes of Acton, Church Minshull, Worleston and Wettenhall, who is also Chaplain to the Cheshire Agricultural Society. Musical accompaniment was provided by the music group of St Mary’s Church, Acton.
Rev Anne Lawson explained: “The purpose of this service was to encourage communities to gather together to celebrate the traditional start of the farming year and also to raise awareness of RABI. Plough Sunday hasn’t been marked at Reaseheath College, certainly in recent times, and I was delighted that the service was such a success.”
Georgina Lamb, North West Regional Manager for RABI, who attended the service along with other representatives from agricultural institutions said: “This was a great opportunity for us to give thanks for the contribution our farming communities make by providing food for our tables and by caring for the wider landscape.
“It also allowed us to remember that farming families, who are often overlooked, have been particularly hard hit by the recent bad weather and will continue to suffer financially for some time.”
