As the UK sheep sector gets ready to celebrate the seventh annual Love Lamb Week next week the National Sheep Association (NSA) is preparing to lead the search for an enthusiastic sheep farmer ready to front the campaign for the next year.
Love Lamb Week was established in 2015 by Cumbrian sheep farmer Rachel Lumley in response to poor lamb prices and low domestic consumption. Rachel sadly passed away in 2020, the new face of the campaign will take on Rachel’s legacy and honour her name and ambition to improve the nation’s taste for delicious lamb once again.
NSA Communications Officer Katie James says: “NSA is proud to work alongside the UK levy boards and other industry organisations to support the delivery of Love Lamb Week each year. NSA recognises however, that the success of the campaign is boosted by farmer’s own activity, telling their personal story of their work to produce a sustainable delicious product in the UK’s beautiful countryside. That is why NSA and the Love Lamb steering group is now searching for a farmer who is happy to share their working life with the British public via social media to help inform and educate on sheep production and it’s environmental and nutritional credentials.”
The new ‘Face of Love Lamb’’ will be required to take on the social media activity of the Love Lamb accounts on Facebook and Twitter following next month’s campaign that runs from Wednesday 1st September to Tuesday 7th September. This year the weeklong campaign is focussing on the sustainable nature of UK sheep farming in its messaging and it is expected the successful farmer to take on the accounts for the next 12 months will keep that message central to their promotion.
To apply to take on the activity applicants are required to complete an online form and submit a short video detailing their own sheep farming story and reasoning why they believe they would be a good spokesperson for the campaign. Applicants must be aged 18 or above and live and work in the UK, with sheep farming as their main source of income.
NSA’s Katie James continues: “NSA is already aware of many enthusiastic and engaging farmers using social media to give an insight into life working in agriculture who are excellent at informing the public on the highs and lows of farming life. We are confident this competition will uncover some new farming faces who can help the social media accounts attract a larger audience that will enjoy watching and learning from the stories and posts that are shared.”
The successful applicant will take on the account for the next 12 months providing opportunity to share content from a compete farming year. They will be required to work with NSA and the other organisations involved in delivery of Love lamb Week to ensure a consistent message is shared with audiences.
Following submission of a short video online on the NSA website shortlisted applicants will be invited to complete a short Zoom interview with a panel of industry experts before commencing their own social media activity at the beginning of October.
The competition launches on the first day of Love lamb Week 2021 on Wednesday 1st September and will be open to applications until Wednesday 15th September at 5pm.
Further enquiries should be made to NSA Communications Officer Katie James via katie@nationalsheep.org.uk
