From lions and tigers to Diocese of Norwich 

A lion and tiger expert, PE teacher, farmer and student are among the seven new deacons ordained by the Bishop of Norwich to serve in parishes across Norfolk and Waveney.

They are, pictured from left to right:
 
Gary Bowers, to serve in the Heacham and Snettisham Benefice. In the past Gary has studied wildlife conservation and zoology over many years. Specialising in big cats, he has hand-reared various lions and tigers, as well as spending time in India studying Bengal tigers in their natural habitat.
 
Edward Land, to serve at St Thomas’, Norwich. Edward grew up in a farming family based near the North Norfolk coast. Prior to ordination he was a PE teacher.
 
Rosemary Rayner, to serve at Lakenham and Tuckswood. She has worked at Norwich Union (Aviva) and the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital and trained for ordination in her retirement.
 
Jill Haylock, to serve in the Chet Valley Benefice, where she has lived all her life and where she helps run the family farm.
 
Richard Stanton to serve at Attleborough and Besthorpe. Richard comes from Manchester and trained for ordination in Cambridge, where he was Senior Student.
 
Dominique Turnham to serve in the Dereham and District Team Ministry. Dominique read theology at Cambridge then worked for a year in South Africa, both in an affluent white area and in the poverty of the neighbouring black township.  She is one of the youngest female Ordinands in the Church of England.
 
Sarah Quantrill, to serve at Oulton Broad. Before ordination she studied for a degree in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at Cambridge. She then moved to the UEA to train to be a teacher and has taught in secondary schools across Norfolk and Suffolk.