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Great Yorkshire Show appoints new chaplain

Rural Officer Leslie Morley takes on significant role as the Church goes on Show

Canon Leslie Morley

This year's Great Yorkshire Show from July 14th - 16th in Harrogate has a new Chaplain. The role has been taken by The Revd Canon Leslie Morley, Diocesan Rural Officer and a familiar face to many through his years of pastoral work across Yorkshire.

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society which organises the Show each year said that Leslier's love of the countryside and empathy with farmers and the rural community meant he was a natural choice as Chaplain.

Nigel Pulling, Chief Executive said: “We’ve known Leslie for a number of years, not least through his involvement with Farm Crisis Network and the Yorkshire Rural Support Network. He manages to combine a great sense of humour with a genuine concern for farmers, and a practical hands-on approach to making things happen! I know he will be an excellent support for staff and an excellent ambassador for the Society in its work supporting the rural community.”

Amongst Canon Morley’s many roles within the rural community, for the last decade he has been the Rural Officer which involves advising the Bishops and the Diocese on matters of concern to the farming and rural communities and supporting rural clergy and congregations. He is also the Deputy Chairman of the Yorkshire Rural Support Network, Chaplain to the Yorkshire branch of Farm Crisis Network and a member of the Church on Show committee for the Great Yorkshire. His home is in Low Pittington, County Durham.

Speaking about his appointment he said: “I was delighted to be asked to take on the role and had no hesitation in saying “yes”. I’m very much looking forward to the Great Yorkshire Show, and I extend a warm welcome to Morning Prayers, each day at the President’s Lawn Band Stand at 7.30am. I’m very conscious that this is a year round post, and so will be a frequent visitor to the Society’s offices to be available to the staff. I am also getting involved in activities around the region on the Society’s behalf.”

Yorkshire Church on Show

Churches throughout Yorkshire are involved in staffing the churches pavilion at this year's Great Yorkshire Show. The theme this year is our relationship with ourselves, with others, and our relationship with God. The Design Team (Nic Sheppard, Caroline Hewlett, Richard Bruge, Maureen Browell, Caroline Falkingham, and Yvonne Callaghan) have planned an interactive journey designed to “enable personal reflection and gentle challenge”.

Yorkshire Church on Show is supported by the Anglican Dioceses of Bradford, Ripon and Leeds, Sheffield, Wakefield and York, along with the Baptist Union, Quaker Outreach in Yorkshire, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Leeds, the Salvation Army and the Methodist Districts of Darlington, Leeds, West Yorkshire and York and Hull.