AN initiative to help protect and preserve the famous Herdwick sheep breed gets underway this autumn.

The Herdwick Sheep Breeders’ Association, The Herdy Company and Newton Rigg College have joined forces to complete the breed’s gene bank which The Sheep Trust charity started during the 2001 foot-and-mouth epidemic.

Designed to help ensure the long-term protection and survival of the breed, it coincides with the Herdwicks' centenary year.

Six pure-bred ewes from fell farms across the county have arrived at the college's Sewborwens Farm. Here their embryos will be collected under a closely monitored eight-week programme.

These will then be frozen and stored in The Sheep Trust Heritage Gene Bank Archive, along with fertilised eggs and semen collected by the charity 15 years ago. The sheep will then return to their farms.

The project is sponsored by The Herdy Company, renowned for its Herdwick-inspired brand and products, and for Newton Rigg students, it means involvement in an exciting project which could benefit their own flocks in years to come.

Amanda Carson, secretary of the breeders' association, said the initiative's importance could not be over-estimated.

She said: "Our aim is to ensure the protection of the breed should a future catastrophe occur, such as foot-and-mouth, where numbers are either reduced or wiped out. Although there are Herdwicks elsewhere in the country, these sheep are locally adapted to the breed’s home county and represent the most characteristic fell type.

"The Herdwick Heritage Gene Bank Project is an insurance to ensure the breed's longevity and protection."

Herdwick numbers are currently not under threat – there are about 50,000 in the UK. However, Ms Carson hopes the project will encourage new gene banks to be established for additional sheep breeds as a much wider national insurance policy to protect the UK’s farm animal genetic resources.

Spencer Hannah, co-founder and director of The Herdy Company, said: "We started the Herdy Fund at the same time we set up The Herdy Company in 2007, for the purpose of supporting a sustainable rural community through cross sector collaboration, sponsorship and knowledge share. We are very proud to support this critically important project."

Matt Bagley, head of agriculture, said it was a wonderful opportunity for the students: "They will be involved in the animal husbandry as well as assisting in some of the more technical aspects of the programme which will provide valuable knowledge and experience."

Prof Dianna Bowles, The Sheep Trust chair, said: "We have supported the Heritage Gene Bank since our charity started and we are now guaranteeing its on-going costs until 2021 – 20 years in total. It is a pleasure to work with our three Cumbrian partners to help ensure the project’s success for the Herdwicks."