From Zookeeper to Intern at St Paul’s - By Andrew Barkley

Hi, my name is Andrew, and I am one of the new interns here at St Paul’s Ireland Wood. Originally from North Wales, I have moved all around the UK and New Zealand before coming up to Leeds in 2020. I live with my wife, Alice, and our (not so) small collection of animals. I would list them all here, but I’ve been told to keep this blog under 500 words…

In the past, I spent many years working as a zookeeper in a variety of collections. During that time, I was fortunate to work with some amazing animals and take part in conservation programmes. I’ve also done some more unusual things—such as taking camels to a music festival and chasing an escaped wolverine through the woods!

I have been attending the church since January but have now taken on this voluntary role. There are three different intern programmes offered, and I am on the Ministry Experience Scheme – Future Youth programme. This means that, alongside my time at St Paul’s, I will also be studying youth work and ministry. Being an intern involves experiencing all aspects of church life and growing in spiritual discipleship. On Mondays, all interns across the Leeds Diocese meet together for fellowship, study, and worship. For the rest of the week, I am based here, learning more about the church and its many roles.

The reason I am doing this internship is because I felt God calling me to serve Him by working for the church. I had spent a few years out of employment due to mental health challenges and was beginning to look for work again when I felt the call. At first, I tried to ignore it—I love working with animals, and this felt completely out of my comfort zone. However, I eventually realised I couldn’t ignore God and began exploring church-based work. From this, I came to St Paul’s and got to know Mark and the rest of the team.

While still job-hunting, I stumbled across information about the internship online but thought little of it, as I was over the age limit. The very next day, Mark rang me and asked if I’d heard of the internship—and reassured me that age wasn’t an issue. I took this as a sign and knew this was the right path for me.

I would love it if, during this year, you could pray for me to experience all aspects of life at St Paul’s and to listen to God as I discern His path for me. I also ask for prayer for Alice and me, as we adapt to my new role and the big change in routine.

Over the next year, I look forward to getting to know you all and becoming part of the amazing community of St Paul’s. If you see me around, please feel free to come and say hi!