After the resounding success of previous years, the National Sheep Association (NSA) has once again opened its Lambing List service for 2016/17. The intention is simple, to connect sheep farming members who need assistance at lambing time with agricultural and veterinary students looking for a lambing placement as part of their educational studies.

NSA provides this service annually to assist members who are looking for help during the lambing season, while it also forms part of NSA’s continued support for the next generation of sheep farmers and large animal vets in what it does to link students with sheep farmers as they look for work experience placements.

Phil Stocker, NSA Chief Executive, says: “The Lambing List is hugely valuable by both the sheep farmers and students who use it, and I’m delighted that has continued to grow in popularity year on year. It’s a very simple but effective process – we collate a list of NSA members looking for help at lambing time and provide contact details so students can approach them directly to ask for a placement. It’s a great service for our members, but also provides a boost for young people keen to get ahead. The list will be hosted on NSA’s Next Generation website, which is dedicated to young people – www.nsanextgeneration.org.uk – students seeking the list will also find the online resource is packed with useful information about how to get on the sheep farming ladder as they look pursue a career in the sheep sector.”

As the 2016/17 lambing list is now live, adverts from NSA members will be listed as they are received. NSA members wishing to place an advert on the list should go to www.nationalsheep.org.uk/lambing-list where a quick online application form can be filled out. Students seeking a lambing work experience placement should visit www.nationalsheep.org.uk/nextgeneration/lambing-work-experience.php.

The online application incorporates a number of questions in order to collect the relevant information to create an advert. Questions include whether experience is required, number of ewes to lamb, and whether accommodation or meals can be provided or not. Other useful information could include breed of ewes, lambing system and/or some brief information on farm set-up. Sheep farmers who are interested in using the list who are not yet NSA members can find membership application information at www.nationalsheep.org.uk/membership.