A former wildlife TV producer who once filmed documentaries around the world is now training to become a vicar and will be spending the next four weeks on placement with a group of rural churches in the Peasedown St John area.

Rose Patterson-Veira is training to become a priest at Trinity College in Bristol and part of her curricular activities are to spend time ‘on the ground’ in an Anglican parish.

Rose said: “I’m looking forward to working with Rev Matthew Street and the team in the St J’s Group. I’ve heard so many good things about what the church is doing in the community to reach out to others and support those in need.”

Rose grew up in East Africa, where her parents worked as missionaries. She studied Zoology at Liverpool University and spent 10 years working for a TV production company, making wildlife documentaries, before deciding to enter the church ministry.

Rose will be getting involved with various pastoral and community-based activities around the four churches in the St J’s Group over the next few weeks, from attending school assemblies to preaching in church, and from supporting the church’s children’s outreach work to volunteering at coffee mornings.

Leader at the St J’s Group, Revd Matthew Street, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming Rose in all our churches. Her experiences in project management, TV production and enthusiasm for the ‘great outdoors’ will be of huge value to us and the work we do across the community.”

For more details about the work of the St J’s Group, readers can visit their website, www.stjsgroup.church, which includes details of future events, the church’s work in the community, activities going on during the week and live recordings of Sunday sermons.