The National Sheep Association (NSA) is pleased to announce Devon sheep farmer Peter Delbridge as its new Chairman.

Mr Delbridge was elected at the NSA Board Meeting on Wednesday 10th January 2024 and moves into a term of three years in the role. He takes on the position from East Anglian sheep farmer Dan Phipps who has come to the end of his fixed three-year term.

He comments: “It is a great honour being asked to be NSA Chair. NSA is an organisation I have been proudly involved with for more than 20 years. My aim, being a typical farmer, is to carry on the good work of all those that have held the post before and help leave it in a better place fit and ready to face the many varied challenges we as sheep farmers face locally, nationally and globally.”

Peter is a fifth generation sheep farmer from Exmoor where he farms with wife Carol on the family’s 400 acre (160ha) farm currently running 700 ewes comprising of 190 North Country Mules, 420 Exlanas and 90 Exmoor Horns.

In addition to serving as NSA South West Region Trustee for the past six years, Peter is currently a regional committee member and past regional Chairman of NSA South West Region. Aside from NSA commitments, he has also sat on the NFU Uplands Forum during the development of the Upland Entry Level Scheme, has been a Non Executive Director of Mole Valley Farmers since 2008, is a Trustee for the Exmoor Rural Health Hub at Cutcombe market, and a founder member of Sheep Improvement Group which has developed the Exlana Sheep since its inception some 20 years ago.

NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker says: As the chairmanship passes into the very reliable hands of Peter Delbridge, it is only right to extend our sincere thanks to Dan Phipps for his devotion to this role over the past three years. Dan has worked incredibly hard to represent NSA during three at times uncertain years for the UK sheep sector. The challenges our sector face do not make for an easy ride, with an incredible amount of activity required of the NSA Chair, Dan embraced this challenge just as we are certain Peter will also who we very much look forward to working with over his term.”

Also at Wednesday’s meeting NSA gave thanks to three NSA Trustees who all came to the end of their terms on the NSA Board. Henry Dunn from Gloucestershire, Peter Myles from Angus and Tim Ward from Powys, have all contributed a great deal to the Board over the past six years. Mr Delbridge also cam eto the end of his term as a Trustee but now moves to Chair of the Board. Four new trustees will now be welcomed on to the NSA Board at the next meeting following their nominations at NSA Annual Regional Members’ meetings taking place over the next few months.

The NSA Board of Trustees is made up of 14 people democratically nominated by NSA members and appointed by Trustees. It is representative of the six NSA regions in England, as well as NSA Cymru/Wales Region, NSA Scottish Region and NSA Northern Ireland Region. Together the Trustees decide the strategic direction of NSA’s work to provide a voice for the UK sheep sector.