Ten26 autumn 2015

YOUR SHOUT! autumn 2015

the latest news from clubs and counties

yellow wellies safety message hits the road

The magazine of the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs

designers Fun, learning & achievement

runners

speakers

ALSO INSIDE l Scott Mills and Chris Stark from Radio 1 back national young Farmers’ week! l get a job in the poultry industry l HELP BEAT RURAL CRIME l WIN £500 of Regatta gear thanks to Mole valley farmers

Trophy-tastic at the competition finals!

your guide to

yfc travel 2016

Honda (UK), the world’s largest ATV manufacturer, is proud to be the exclusive safety partner for The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs. Honda will champion the Federation’s members in ATV safety by connecting local approved Honda dealers with Young Farmers across England and Wales.

You could help raise awareness by becoming one of our ‘Safety Ambassadors’

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and working with us to share safety messages through training and practical advice.

Look out for regular updates on training courses, safety videos and more on the NFYFC website and social media channels.

For more information on ATV safety and how you can get involved visit www.nfyfc.org.uk/farmsafety

The facts*: l The largest number of worker deaths is caused by moving vehicles. l Nearly one fifth of fatalities over the last five years is due to moving vehicles.

*Statistics from Health & Safety Executive

Supporting Young Farmers with your vehicle safety

contents

Welcome to your autumn issue of ten26 I have had an amazing summer and looking through this issue of Ten26 it seems loads of you have too!

It’s always great to see so many of you enjoying your county rallies and I have loved taking part in a few of them, as well as seeing your photos on social media.

We have also had a summer of NFYFC competition finals and I was very proud to be there to present the worthy winners with their much-deserved trophies (see pages 10-13).

In this issue, you can also start planning for an exciting 2016 by choosing to apply for one of our fantastic YFC Travel trips (page 15).

It’s getting closer to the Birmingham Half Marathon in October and my ‘Hannah’s Dashers’ team is growing. Please let me or NFYFC know by emailing magazine@nfyfc.org.uk if you or your club want to join in the race with me!

And finally, please don’t forget to take part in our National Young Farmers’ Week in November to help bring new members into our fantastic organisation!

Hannah Talbot National Chair of Council

National and committee officers Vice Chairs Chris Manley and Jessica Townson, Chair Competitions Steering Group Mark Curr, Chair Personal Development Toby France, Chair Agriculture & Rural Issues Lynsey Martin, Chair Events and Marketing Katie Davies and Chair of the Youth Forum Danielle McNulty.

TEN26 MAGAZINE Head of Marketing and Development: Maria Burke Communications Officer: Sam Conway Produced by Elliott House Communications This magazine is produced for members of the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs and their friends and families. ©NFYFC. No part of this magazine may be

reproduced without prior written permission.

All letters, photos and news are welcomed but we reserve the right to edit any contributions.

The opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the NFYFC. This magazine is also available in Welsh.

inside 04 NEWS Catch up on what’s happening at NFYFC

GOOD SKILLS 22 learn with yfc How your membership helps you develop skills 24 the job What it’s like to work as a poultry regional manager

FEATURES 08 national young farmers’ week Exclusive interview with Scott Mills and Chris Stark 10 competitions This summer’s NFYFC competition winners 15 YFC travel Your guide to YFC travel opportunities in 2016 20 rural crime How Young Farmers can help the fight against rural crime in their area

YOUTH FORUM 26 farm safety The Yellow Wellies roadshows and why farm safety is so important

YOUR SHOUT 28 AREA NEWS The latest news from clubs across England and Wales, including your top tweets and charity stunts!

32 COMPETITION Your chance to win £500 of Regatta gear thanks to this amazing competition from Mole Valley Farmers!

GET IN TOUCH Dial 02476 857200 @ Email magazine@nfyfc.org.uk f ‘Like’ at facebook.com/nfyfc t Follow on twitter.com/nfyfc

Call

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news

nd updates the latest news a from across the organisation AWARD: Claire Worden with NFYFC Chair Hannah Talbot collecting the award

t’s presiden

update The response of young farmers to the milk crisis this year has been inspiring.

Worldwide prices for milk are low and this is leading to real hardship for those who make a living from dairy farming.

But, true to their can-do attitude, young farmers are campaigning to highlight the issue and working to find a resolution – like they did during the floods in the south-west two years ago.

Young Farmers have no feeling that the world owes us a living – we help ourselves, we help each other, and we work hard to make sure that the wider world understands why agriculture issues matter to everyone.

Examples like these of Young Farmers making a difference will form the basis of a lecture I am to give at Ripon Cathedral in October.

This year’s St Wilfred Lectures are on the challenges and opportunities of rural life and mine is entitled ‘Young Farmers’ Clubs – Fighting Back for Rural Communities.’ I’ve got lots of examples of how young farmers are doing just that – but if you’ve got some more, please do get in touch!

I’m sure I’ll be gathering more examples as I continue my tour around the country visiting YFCs. I was at the Cornwall County Show in June and I’m looking forward to visiting Netherfield YFC and the Durham County AGM in November.

Poul Christensen

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Rural+ wins youth project of the year NFYFC’s Rural+ campaign has been named the 2014 Rural Youth Project of the Year by Rural Youth Europe (RYE).

Former Chair of NFYFC Council Claire Worden launched the Rural+ campaign last year to highlight mental health issues, particularly those caused by rural isolation.

Claire and NFYFC’s Chair of Council Hannah Talbot were in Linz, Austria to collect the special award from RYE. The competition was first started in 2009 and is aimed at giving inspiration and providing

a learning opportunity for young people living in rural areas. It is an annual indicator of the innovativeness, creativeness and project management skills from RYE’s member organisations.

NFYFC launched the Rural+ campaign with support from charitites The Farming Community Network (FCN) and YoungMinds.

Support from FCN is available every day from 7.00 am until 11.00 pm or by emailing chris@fcn.org.uk

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Are you ready for your AGM? Officers preparing for their Club and County AGMs are being reminded to have all the essentials ready for their meetings.

Top of the paperwork pile is ensuring that all new officers’ application forms and DBS checks and references are completed.

Youthwork Officer Cath Sykes said: “It’s a good idea to organise club officer training now so that new officers are up and running for the new year.” more advice on prep for i For AGMs, check out The Source www.nfyfc.org.uk/thesource

got a story? call 02476 857200 OR EMAIL magazine@nfyfc.org.uk

2015/16 diary dates get in on all the yfc action and take note of 2015/16 dates now

WINNERS: Poppy Burrough and Max Rees at Massey Ferguson’s head office

Massey Ferguson finds Home Grown Ambassadors Two members who are keen to secure a career in agriculture have been rewarded with a unique training experience from Massey Ferguson as part of its new Home Grown Talent programme.

Poppy Burrough from Dorset YFC and Max Rees from Glamorgan YFC applied to be Home Grown Ambassadors and were chosen as winners due to their passion for the industry. As Ambassadors the pair will enjoy a trip to Massey Ferguson’s factory in Beauvais, France, work experience and activities with the company, an all-expensespaid trip to an agriculture/trade show with Massey Ferguson and the opportunity to spend time

with a Massey Ferguson mentor.

Home Grown Talent is about recognising, supporting and rewarding young people aged between 10-16 who want to be part of the agricultural industry but are unsure about the path they would like to take this early in their career development.

Lindsay Haddon, Advertising and Sales Promotion Manager, said: “Massey Ferguson is passionate about the future of farming. The next generation of farmers are the key to our success and as a company we stand by our commitment to support them, along with our dealers, wherever we can.”

Plans are underway to repeat this initiative next year.

Training weekend for new chairs New County Chairs and Vices can look forward to a special Chairs’ training weekend in November,

thanks to sponsorship from Rutland Electric Fencing. All newly elected chairs and vice chairs will be invited to Llam Hall, a youth hostel in Derbyshire, from 28-29 November to pick up valuable tips and advice for their year in the top seat.

For more information about i the weekend, contact Jodie Green at jodie.green@nfyfc.org.uk

18 October hannah’s dashers take part in the birmingham half marathon

24-25 October steering groups and council meetings.,coventry

2-8 november join in with National Young Farmers’ Week

13 november closing date for YFC travel 2016 applications

21-22 november nfyfc live and carcase judging finals, stafford

28-29 november county chairs weekend in derbyshire

5 december YFC Travel selction day, via skype (C Alma baker at NFYFC)

20-21 february steering groups and council meetings, coventry

19-20 March Regional finals in public speaking and performing arts, north and south

6-8 may annual convention, winter gardens, blackpool

for all the calendar dates and info visit www.nfyfc.org.uk/ calendar

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news Meeting in parliament A chance to highlight issues affecting rural young people with MPs and members of the House of Lords proved to be a success for one young farmer.

Heidi Baker from Buckinghamshire FYFC and a South East Area rep on NFYFC’s Personal Development Steering Group, attended the networking event that was organised by the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS).

Heidi spoke to ministers including the Minister for the Civil Society Rob Wilson and mixed with other youth organisations at the Houses of Parliament in July.

More than 100 people from 50 youth organisations signed up to represent the youth sector and heard insights from the host Tim Loughton MP (Conservative) and NCVYS Chair Natalie Campbell, as well as representatives of other political parties – including Baroness Sal Brinton, Lib Dem President, and Shahrar Ali, Deputy Leader of the Green Party. As a result of the event, Heidi invited Rob Wilson to visit YFC members to find out more about the issues facing rural young people.

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FUNDING SUCCESS: Youth Forum members with the NatWest team

funding support

helps yfc game

The Youth Forum has successfully won funding from NatWest to help develop its field-to-fork educational game, Watch that Cowpat!.

Members of the Youth Forum – Chair Danielle McNulty, Vice chair Amy Swinbank and Freddie Wootton – pitched to senior members of staff from NatWest, including the bank’s Head of Agriculture, in London.

After a nerve-wracking bid to the team in Drummonds – one of London’s prestigious banking buildings – the trio learned that they had secured the funding.The investment means that the Youth Forum can expand production of the game, which is aimed at educating primary schoolchildren on where their food comes from.

Watch that Cowpat! is a large play mat featuring images of food sources for children to place their feet and

hands on when they have matched the picture with a food item from the spinner board.

A pilot game was created last year with funding from the Rural Youth Trust, which enabled the Youth Forum to test it at the CLA Game Fair as well as out in schools.

Danielle said: “It was an amazing experience to present to the NatWest team and we’re thrilled we can now create more copies of the game so clubs and counties can use it at shows around the country.”

Ian Burrow, Head of Agriculture at NatWest, said: “The team did a fantastic job and we were all incredibly impressed with their passion, professionalism and poise.

We’re delighted to be supporting this project and think it could be a vital tool in supporting the education of all things food and farming.”

in memory of stu ridley Members of Northumberland FYFC united to raise more than £13,722 for the Stay Strong Stu campaign.

Stu, who was an active member of Bellingham YFC, sadly passed away in July following his battle with an inoperable brain tumour.

The 25 year old was well-loved by members throughout the County, and clubs have been hosting fundraisers to support the campaign Stu’s family set up in his name.

Money raised is aimed at raising awareness and supporting other

families facing a similar experience.

Most recently the County hosted a special show called Stand up for Stu, which raised more than £2,500. Stu regularly got involved in YFC shows and his family described the special performance that was held in his memory as ‘terrific’.

The campaign has raised more than £108,000 so far. To donate visit www.staystrongstu.co.uk.

thumbs up for

convention 2015

When 96% of respondents to the 2015 Annual Convention Survey say they had an ‘excellent’ time, you can be pretty confident the event of the year was a success.

With record ticket sales and more brilliant feedback on the entertainment and activities, NFYFC’s Annual Convention is getting bigger and better each year.

With five DJs from Radio 1 to boogie with over the weekend, a foam party

and live bands, there was plenty to enjoy. Chris Stark who played during the foam party on Sunday night, was definitely the members’ favourite though with 95% of respondents scoring his set as good or excellent.

Competitions over the weekend were also met with a positive reaction.

While some found the location not as easy to navigate as Blackpool, most respondents enjoyed the event and are now looking forward to Convention

back in Lancashire in 2016!

Congratulations to Elise Axon from Dorset FYFC and Matthew Cowan from Northumberland FYFC who were our prize draw winners for tickets to next year’s bash, courtesy of HOPS, after completing the survey.

Annual Convention 2016 is from 6-8 May. Tickets will be on sale from November. For more info, visit www.yfcconvention.org.uk.

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U18s hit the slopes!

Younger members who were in awe of this year’s NFYFC Ski Trip, no longer have to look on in jealousy as an under-18s ski trip is set to go ahead in 2016.

The Youth Forum has instigated the trip, which will take place during half term from 13-21 February 2016 in Saalbach, Austria.

Members will travel with Equity – market leaders in providing successful school ski tours and are financially protected by ABTA and ATOL.

The trip is open to all members aged between 14 and 17 years old (on the day of travel) and is £799, which includes coach travel, full-board accommodation, ski equipment and passes as well as four hours of ski tuition per day by qualified staff.

For more information visit www.nfyfc.org.uk/ yfcski-u18 and to book your place email jodie.green@nfyfc. org.uk or call 02476 857222.

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#nationalyoungfarmersweek

g n u o Y l a n o i Nat Farmers’ Week Are you ready for National Young Farmers’ Week from 2-8 November?

Well, Scott Mills and Chris Stark from Radio 1 are so excited about it that they’ve only gone and agreed to be official ambassadors for Young Farmers’ Clubs across England and Wales. Are they up to the job?

Q

Why did you want to be ambassadors for YFC? Scott: I have played Young Farmers’ gigs for a long time. I think our show lends itself to that time of the day where we get a lot of interaction from Young Farmers because they’re generally on their own and they have a lot of time – while working hard – to listen to the radio. Unlike other people, who perhaps dip in and out of the show, they can properly listen and get involved. Young Farmers are a massive part of our audience that we should be representing – we naturally have an affinity with them now.

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Chris: When I started at Radio 1 I didn’t really know about Young Farmers, and my first Young Farmers’ gig amazed me. It was the strangest thing to turn up to a field in the middle of nowhere. I was convinced there was going to be no one there but there

was around a thousand Young Farmers having the best time. That’s why I admire Young Farmers – they work really hard but play hard as well – and I have a lot of respect for that kind of lifestyle. It is incredible what they do for British farming. We get loads of stories from Young Farmers on

email and via Tweets so we feel like we’re learning all the time about this community of people that we want to support. We’ve started to see more of the issues that affect them and we feel we are in a position to be able to help them a little bit and give something back.

Q

We hear there is no other gig like our Annual Convention?

Scott: We know that for a lot of people they save up all year and the AGM is their actual holiday and they go crazy!

That’s the difference between some of the student gigs we might do because you get the feeling Young Farmers are out for a big night and there’s a good atmosphere from it. It’s very rare you’ll have a bad Young Farmers’ gig.

Chris: They are the best. What I see at YFC gigs is what I would like to be a part of, so it’s great to be DJing at them. Young Farmers are generally really positive and friendly. The reception you get when you walk out at a Young Farmers’ gig is like no other because they want to support you.

That’s such a warm and lovely feeling.

Q

If you could take part in our 2015-16 competitions, which one would you choose?

Scott: Maybe I could put my Strictly Ballroom shoes on again. I point out when people are doing bad footwork.

Chris: There’s a TV show in that Fence Erecting…Mills knows Simon Cowell, we should get him on to it – Fence Factor! I’m uber competitive so I think I’d like to give the Tug of War a go!

Q

How can YFCs attract new members during National Young Farmers’ Week – especially people who aren’t actually farmers?

Scott: Young Farmers should make their week fun and get a message across. We’re aware of how hard they work – but they also know how to let their hair down a lot, which is good.

Chris: We are those people.

Encouraging people to join this amazing community that aren’t necessarily working in the fields is basically what Scott and me are hoping to represent. We just want to be

Real or No Real Could Scott and Chris make it as honorary Young Farmers? We put their knowledge to the test in a version of their radio game Real or No Real.

Question

SCOTT

CHRIS

ANSWER

British farmers produce about 60% of our food supply

REAL

NO REAL: I think they do more

REAL

Strawberry season starts around September and it’s when they taste at their best?

No Real – my logic is Wimbledon’s earlier in the year and that’s when you see loads of strawberries.

REAL: haha – you think they time the strawberry season with Wimbledon! I think it’s Real.

NO REAL: Strawberry season starts in May.

Farming and food sectors provide over 3.8m jobs?

Real

Real – I’m going to copy Scott now as he keeps getting them right.

REAL

A Charolais and a Shorthorn are types of pigs

NO real

NO real – they sound like machinery to me.

NO REAL: They are types of cows.

Brits scoff about 900,000 chickens a day.

Real

Real – that’s a lot of chickens.

NO REAL: We eat about 2.2m a day.

An official Welly Wanging World Championship is held every year.

Real

Real – and I want to get involved.

REAL

5/6

nearly a farmer

part of the Club. It’s in our interest as a lot of them are providing the food that ends up on our plate. It’s great for us to support as non-farmers and we want to encourage other people to join who are similar to us, who maybe didn’t even know about NFYFC. During National Young Farmers’ Week, focus on what makes you really

3/6

needs to join a YFC

proud about being a Young Farmer and represent what you love about it through all the fun stuff you do.

National Young Farmers’ Week, sponsored by the Rural Youth Trust, is from 2-8 November. Visit www.nfyfc.org.uk/ nationalyoungfarmersweek

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Competitions weekend: stafford

top

talent Fashion designers, sculptors and runners were among the talented members this summer at a range of NFYFC’s competition finals

S

pectators at this year’s Competitions Weekend in Staffordshire were treated to a mega amount of artistic and sporting talent.

Alongside the traditional public speaking competitions, members had also been challenged to create some interesting designs incorporating this year’s theme of ‘the family’. As well as Cube exhibits – won by Wiltshire FYFC – garden sculptures and canvas paintings, visitors were also invited to a special fashion show, where members modelled their homemade clothing.

Sunday was dedicated to the sports

finals in Kwik Cricket, Dodgeball and Cross Country.

Cumbria FYFC topped the leader’s table over the weekend with five wins in the national finals for Junior Reading (Skelton YFC), Junior Member of the Year (Alice Longmire – see page 27), Best Chair in the Public Speaking (Leah Clough) and first places in the men’s and women’s senior Cross Country for Richard Lawrence from Kent Estuary YFC and Heidi Dent from Pennine YFC. For a list of winners and scores, visit www.nfyfc.org.uk/results.

the fashionistas A striking blue satin dress, with pretty embroidery, took centre stage in the Fashion Make and Model competition.

The winning dress, created by 17-yearold Betsan Jones from Llanllwni YFC in Carmarthenshire, was the first garment she had ever made!

Using fashion designer Matthew Williamson – creator of the Butterfly range in Debenhams – as her muse, Betsan tried to incorporate his eclectic style into her own creation. She spent the Christmas holidays making the dress and practised for hours to insert a zip.

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“it was nerveracking on the catwalk. I didn’t think i would win but it was good after the hard work”

It was a labour of love though for Betsan as she made the dress to wear to her sister’s 18th birthday party.

“Everyone admired it at the party and the embroidery glittered in the light,” said Betsan who also modelled her dress on the YFC catwalk. “It was nerve-racking on the catwalk but it was good to show off my dress. I didn’t think I would win but it was a good feeling after all the hard work.”

got a story? call 02476 857200

the public speakers When it comes to being outspoken, Young Farmers aren’t ones for holding back and this year’s range of public speaking competitions certainly lived up to that reputation.

There were lively discussions in After Dinner Speaking, where Devon was hailed the winner, interviews as part of the Situations Vacant competition, where Lauren Hladun from Lincolnshire won first place, and fun debates in Brainstrust resulted in Lancashire taking the trophy.

It was good teamwork for Pembrokeshire that Tomos Evans claims helped them to win the Junior Public Speaking competition.

“Even though we weren’t speaking together, there was still an element of teamwork as we all encouraged each other beforehand, which helped our nerves,” said 16-year-old Tomos from Fishguard YFC who took the role of Chairman in the competition.

“I had to chair a discussion about cars as the speaker had just passed

her driving test and wanted to buy a Peugeot, whereas her family wanted her to buy a Fiesta.”

On the day, the best Chairman went to Leah Clough from Cumbria, Vote of Thanks was Louise Putt from Devon and Best Speaker was Olivia Slack from Derbyshire.

the artists A barn fire sparked an idea for the winning entry of the Garden Sculpture competition, created by Ethan Johnson from Plumpton College YFC in Sussex.

Ethan’s fish sculpture used scrap metal that he had collected following a barn fire on

his family’s farm. The damaged pieces of metal, cogs and nuts and bolts were perfect for creating the inspirational piece – that even included moving parts such as its tail, fins and jaw.

The 18-year-old only joined a YFC this year so was shocked to find himself picking up a national award.

“I created the fish for a GCSE project and so it took a long while to put together,” said Ethan who is studying Countryside Management and hopes

to one day manage woodlands and make woodland crafts. “All the other sculptures were excellent so I was surprised to hear I had won. A judge told me she liked the moving parts I had added.”

In the junior category, it was 11-year-old Mary Hodges from Lugg Valley YFC who took first place with her farm kitchen canvas painting.

Mary, who doesn’t live on a farm, had taken a photo at the farmhouse of fellow club members George and Russell Legg. Mary said: “I enjoy drawing so I took a photo while I was at the farmhouse and then painted the scene on canvas. I have given my painting to the Legg family, so it’s hanging in their house now.”

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Competitions weekend: stafford

The artful dodgers Dorrington YFC were determined to beat their Shropshire arch rivals Whittington & Oswestry YFC in the finals of the Dodgeball competition – and their willpower paid off.

The game, which lasts for three minutes, with each match being the best of three games, is played to the rules as set out by the UK Dodgeball Association.

Dorrington YFC Chairman Chris Potter said after coming second to Whittington & Oswestry in the West Midlands Area (WMA) round, they were focused on taking the trophy at the nationals.

“We went through as the underdogs from the WMA round, so we thought, ‘let’s have ‘em, let’s go for it’ and we did. It felt good to finally beat Whittington & Oswestry as they have won a lot this year.”

The team nearly lost their nerve after winning one game and then losing another but they managed to fight back to meet their rivals in the final.

“It’s a fun game but there’s a lot of luck involved in it,” said Chris who has been a YFC member for seven years.

“I think our girls were very strong as they all play netball so they can catch and throw well.”

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the runners There were three Cross Country competitions at NFYFC’s 2015 Sports Day – a 2.5km race for members aged 10-15 years old, and two 5km races for the 1621s and 22-26 years.

In the under 16s competition, Aidan Kent from Cornwall and Morgan Spink from Nottinghamshire won the male and female races respectively. For the under 21s, Jordan Ford from Devon crossed the finish line first in the men’s and Tilly Lea from Warwickshire was first for the females.

Cumbria reigned supreme in the male and female under-26 races – with their members Richard Lawrence and Heidi Dent both running the fastest.

Devon won the overall team trophy and team member Oliver

Reed said they were amazed to win.

“We were surprised that we had won the team trophy as we thought Cumbria would get it. When they called out Devon, we looked at each other in shock,” said Oliver who came eighth in the under-26’s race.

“I was annoyed with myself because I can run faster than I did but I was recovering from a wedding I had been at the night before!”

A big congratulations to Yorkshire FYFC who were the champions in the Kwik Cricket competition – a game aimed at members aged under 16.

The heave-hoers Powered on by the memory of a good friend, Whitley Chapel YFC’s men’s team pulled to victory at the Tug of War finals at the Tenbury Show in August.

The Club sadly lost their friend Stu Ridley to an inoperable brain tumour only a month before the competition and were determined to do their best for him.

“Our Tug of War team raised over £2,000 for the Stay Strong Stu campaign by travelling from Hawick

to the Northumberland County Show earlier this year,” said team member Mathew Hope. “The team really feels that Stu helped to inspire us throughout the year.”

Urged on by a crowd of supporters who did a 520-mile round trip to Tenbury to cheer the team on, the men found themselves as the winners.

“The team could not be more shocked about the win, we have only been doing this for around 18 months but we were lucky to have

Steve Emmott as our coach. He has motivated us and taken time out twice a week for training – earning himself the nickname Mr Pain,” added Mathew. “This victory really means a huge amount to the team, we are all good mates and to accomplish this together is an unbelievable feeling.”

Other winners on the day were Trecastle YFC in Brecknock for the Junior competition and Tenbury YFC in Worcestershire for the Ladies competition.

The judgers It was the perfect swan song for Ffion Jones when she won in both the senior and team finals at the Dairy Stockjudging in her final year of competing.

The accountant from Carmarthenshire lives on a beef and sheep farm but to her family’s surprise has won the dairy stockjudging twice at a senior level

and once at intermediate.

“I had a very good trainer, Russell Law, who is a local dairy farmer,” said Ffion. “He helped to train me and the team before the competition and it worked!”

Fellow team members Rhodri Williams and Ffion Rees are both from the same club in Wales – Llanfynydd YFC – and were proud to

pick up the Farmer and Stockbreeder Trophy with Ffion.

While Ffion cannot compete any longer as she is out of membership age, she does have some tips for future competitors.

“Look at the scoring system for the Linear. Once you’ve got that sorted you can then place them easier because then you can see in each specific area which one is better than another,” said Ffion.

Chloe Harris from Herefordshire and Thomas Saxby from Yorkshire won the Intermediate Section while Evie Tomlinson from Leicestershire was first in the Junior competition.

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Your Passport to YFC Travel Dear memb ers

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International youth organisation Rural Youth Europe brings rural young people together from more than 20 countries through weeklong seminars every year.

Mark Allard, a former member of Leicestershire FYFC, went to Budapest last year for one of the seminars that was focused on raising awareness of the European challenges related to young people and to empower organisations to tackle them.

Mark said: “We learnt about the issues through workshops, experts and study visits. It wasn’t formal and we developed skills and knowledge in a fun environment.

“Making new friends was a highlight and since then I have visited Norway to meet a friend I met on the trip and I have hosted friends from Finland. It was an experience of a lifetime. I will always have great memories.”

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A volunteering holiday with Young Farmers is a great way to see a different part of the world and make a difference to people’s lives while you’re there.

Victoria Apter from Essex FYFC travelled to HIGHLIG HTS Ghana in 2014 to help l Visitin g the loca the local community l Gari factory w here they and said she would make a powder similar to recommend the trip. flour. l Visitin g the coa “It was such st and an old sla ve castle a fantastic and l A rain forest ca rewarding nopy walk – w e got soa experience going time and we ked but it was in credible. with YFC, which I even managed to wouldn’t have had include the YFC if I had gone alone.” logo on the end of Victoria and 10 other Young the school.,“ said Farmers stayed with a local vicar and Victoria, who also worked on a small his family in a home with no running farm in her second week and visited water, basic electric and a shower that a day care centre to spend time with was a cold bucket of water! the children. “The trip was a fantastic The group spent some of their opportunity that I couldn’t have time painting a school that had been experienced without NFYFC or the built by another volunteer group. support of Essex FYFC and the D C “Dodging the resident cockroaches, Bower fund,” she added. we completed the painting in record

Taking part in a YFC working holiday means you gain practical agricultural experience while still enjoying a big adventure.

Every year NFYFC in partnership with C Alma Baker Trust sponsors four YFC members to spend three months working at Limestone Downs, an extensive sheep, cattle and dairy farm on New Zealand’s North Island.

Kirsten Hoggard from Nottinghamshire FYFC visited this year and enjoyed having her own accommodation on the farm

with a personal car and quad!

“The work was varied from milking in a rotary, to spraying, weighing and drenching thousands of lambs! I couldn’t recommend it enough! If you’re interested in farming, it’s just the greatest experience. I loved my time there.” www.nfyfc.org.uk/yfctravel-nz

ys

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h hand and made their own butter and cheese, and cordial from berries. They didn’t have a television or Wi-Fi, it was like going back in time about 100 years! They could speak hardly any English and were very self-sufficient. I had a lovely time with the family.”

The second week was spent with a family on the fourth largest egg farm in Austria where there were 127,000 chickens for egg production. “I felt a bit more like I was back at home here as the farm machinery they owned was very familiar. They also had a TV, Wi-Fi and a pool – they were very modern! It was amazing to see both a traditional and modern farm while I was there,” said Kate.

HIGHLIG HTS l Makin g hay by hand on the moun tain l Visitin g Glossglo ckner mountain to make a snowma n in 35 d egrees l Seeing how they colour the chick ens’ eggs at Easter ti me.

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These holidays are similar to the worldwide homestays, but in European destinations such as Austria, Germany, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Sweden and Switzerland.

Kate Windsor from Whitchurch YFC in Shropshire travelled to Austria for two weeks during the summer and stayed with two very different families.

Her first week was like something from the Sound of Music as Kate stayed with a very traditional family on a selfsustainable farm over 1000m high up in the mountains of Carinthia.

“They milked fleckvieh cows by

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There are two skiing trips available to YFC members in 2016 – one for under 18s to Austria and one for over 18s to France.

This will be the first ever ski trip for under 18 members but promises to be a fantastic way for younger members to spend their February half term (1321 February 2016).

For older members, the trip to Les Arcs in France runs from 8-16 January 2016 and includes optional extras such as having ski lessons or freestyling.

There are also organised events for members to take part in and plenty of time having fun in the white stuff! www.nfyfc.org.uk/yfctravel-ski

yfc travel

your passport to adventure What will your discovery be? Choose from our amazing list below WHERE

Age

No. of places

STAY

TRIP TYPE WHEN

COSTS TO MEMBERS

Australia

21-26 l

1

6-8 weeks

Homestay

April/June

£55.00 + Travel & Insurance s

Austria

18-26 l

2

2-6 weeks

Homestay

4 July

£55.00 + Travel & Insurance

Canada* (4H)

18-25 l

2

2-4 weeks

Homestay

July/August

£55.00 + Travel & Insurance s

Canada (JFAO)

19-26 l

1

6-13 weeks

Homestay

21 May - 21 August

£55.00 + Travel & Insurance s

Germany

18-26 l

2

2 weeks

Homestay

20 June - 4 July

£55.00 + Travel & Insurance

Northern Ireland

18-26 l

2

2 weeks

Homestay

8-22 May

£55.00 + Travel & Insurance

Norway

18-26 l

1

2-6 weeks

Homestay

17 June

£55.00 + Travel & Insurance

Scotland

18-26 l

2

2 weeks

Homestay

13-26 June

£55.00 + Travel & Insurance

Switzerland

18-26 l

1

2-6 weeks

Homestay

June/July

£55.00 + Travel & Insurance

USA (Colorado/Montana)

19-26 l

2

6-12 weeks

Homestay

June/July

£55.00 + Travel & Insurance s

New Zealand (C Alma Baker)**

18-26 l

1

3 months

Working

April

£55.00

New Zealand (C Alma Baker)**

18-26 l

1

3 months

Working

July

£55.00

New Zealand (C Alma Baker)**

18-26 l

1

3 months

Working

October

£55.00

New Zealand (C Alma Baker)**

18-26 l

1

3 months

Working

January 2017

£55.00

Spring Seminar, Strasbourg, France 18-30 l ‘Dream it loud! Build an inclusive society for urban and rural youth!’

2

1 week

Team Travel

22-29 May

£55.00 + Travel & Insurance

European Rally, Northern Ireland ‘Bridging Diversity, Growing Together’

18-30 l

4

1 week

Team Travel

31 July-7 August

£55.00 + Travel & Insurance

Autumn Seminar, Norway ‘To discover how everybody regardless of background can be included in youth organisations’

18-30 l

2

1 week

Team Travel

2-9 October

£55.00 + Travel & Insurance

Jamaica (volunteering trip)

18-30 l

10

2 weeks

Team Travel

7-20 August

£1595 per person (includes food, accommodation, insurance and excursions).

Travel and vaccinations

Other travel opportunities – YFC Ski (booked via an agency) Ski Trip, Les Arcs France

Over 18s

Unlimited

1 week

Group Travel 8/9-16 January 2016 Prices start from £399 (depending on (inc travel, accommodation, chosen transport) lift pass, entertainment)

U18s Ski Trip, Saalbach, Austria

14-17 l

Unlimited

1 week

Group Travel 13-21 February 2016 £799 (inc travel, full board accommodation, lift passes, ski equipment hire, four hours of tuition per day)

KEY TO YFC TRAVEL CHART: s= Visa. All visa costs and arrangements are the responsibility of members. Members will also need to cover the cost of all their social expenditure on each trip. Local bursaries may be available to help with travel, contact your County Office to find out more. l 21 years of age or over by 1 January 2016, and 26 years of age or under by 1 September 2015 l 18 years of age or over by 1 January 2016, and 26 years of age and under on 1 September 2015 l18 years of age or over by 1 January 2016, and 25 years of age and under on 1 September 2015 l 19 years of age or over by 1 January 2016, and 26 years of age and under on 1 September 2015 l 18 years of age or over by 1 January 2016, and 30 years of age and under on 1 September 2015 l14 years of age on day of travel and 17 years of age and under on 1 September 2015.

EXTRAS: *Canada 4H: This trip must be taken after the YFC member has hosted a Canadian exchangee for 1-2 weeks in the UK. You will stay with the same member during the whole of your stay in Canada. **New Zealand trip also allows for one month free time after the three months.

How to apply for a trip: Visit www.nfyfc.org.uk/yfctravel for more information about each trip. Download an application form from the website or contact NFYFC. Your County Office will need to sign the form. Send the completed form to the YFC Travel Officer Emily Johnson at NFYFC before the closing date of 13 November 2015. All applicants will be required to participate in a YFC Selection Day via Skype on 5 December 2015. All applicants for the New Zealand trip will need to attend an interview at NFYFC offices in Stoneleigh.

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rural crime

urged g n ei b e r a s er m r Fa g n You to help protect their communities FROM rural crime

R

ural theft cost an estimated £37.8m in the UK last year. From livestock to expensive farm machinery – farmers across the country are facing losses that can have a significant impact on livelihoods.

In a bid to combat crime, Young Farmers are being called on to get involved in supporting their local communities and raising awareness.

In Lancashire, action is already underway. Two YFC members have agreed to be Rural Ambassadors as part of the NFU’s and Lancashire Police’s new Farm Watch Initiative

– a scheme to bring together the local police and farmers to prevent and solve rural crime.

Rachel Parker from Vale O Lune YFC and Annis Schofield from Slaidburn YFC are both acting as intermediaries between the police and local farmers who suspect a crime.

“If a farmer sees something odd but doesn’t want to call the police, they can contact one of us instead and we will feed the information back to the local constabulary,” explained Rachel who will be going out to county shows with Annis and the NFU so the public get to know them as Rural

Rural Crim How you can help l Be careful when posting images of new equipment on social media, particularly if the account isn’t private. l Register property on immobilise.com so that it can be identified and returned if lost, then recovered. A conviction is also easier if it is found in another’s possession. l Make property a ‘hard target’ by locking it away and out of sight. l Call 101 and report any activity or vehicles that you don’t think belong in your community.

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Ambassadors. They also plan to visit YFCs in Lancashire to explain more about the initiative. “There has been reluctance from farmers to contact the police over small thefts because they thought they wouldn’t be interested or that it would be impossible to recover the items. But everyone needs to report everything, no matter how small, so police budgets are correctly allocated towards fighting rural crime.”

The Farm Watch Initiative launched after 50 reported stolen sheep were found and Lancashire Police didn’t know what to do with them. The NFU is helping to educate officers on livestock issues and have also established guidelines for future incidences. The initiative is being rolled out in other counties too and YFCs are being

encouraged to get involved locally.

“We set up www.facebook.com/ farmandruralcrime last year as part of the Farm Watch Initiative in Lancashire,” said Rachel about the page that now has more than 700 likes and actively shares information about rural crime. “We want to extend the page wider than Lancashire now.”

Livestock crime is on the increase across Wales, the Midlands, East of England and Northern Ireland. Hill farmers are often targeted as it can be weeks before they notice any sheep are missing, making it difficult for the police to make effective enquiries.

“It’s brilliant hopefull

RURAL AMBASSADORS: (l-r) Rachel Parker and Annis Schofield

me Busters Matthew Howells, Staff Officer to the National Policing Lead for Rural and Wildlife Crime, said the farming community needs to pass on information as soon as possible.

“We can target vehicles if a person suspects someone is involved in a sheep theft, for example. It could be a rogue farmer that people are aware of or someone looking suspicious in the area,” explained Matthew who was a member of Carmarthenshire FYFC in the 80s and 90s. “Young Farmers can help by following their local police force on social media, signing up to the

force’s digital newsletters and sharing messages online about any incidents.”

The majority of Police and Crime Commissioners also have Innovation Funds that local groups and charities can apply to fund various community projects. YFCs can apply for this funding to help them with a crime prevention initiative – such as paying for the kit to do local trailer marking or a project that links in with local policing plans. Information will be available on your local Police and Crime Commissioner’s website.

There are also opportunities for

Young Farmers to apply to be Special Constables in rural communities – perfect for those interested in joining the police force.

But all Young Farmers can do their bit just by being alert and reporting all incidences of crime. “Even if it’s something like a bit of diesel being siphoned off, always tell the police,” said Rachel who is excited about her Rural Ambassador role. “I live on a farm and it’s brilliant to be able to use my knowledge to hopefully reduce rural crime in Lancashire and across the rest of the country.”

ledge to w o kn y m se u to le ab be to t ly reduce rural crime across the country” ten26

21

highlights

5 top skills

you learn with YFC As well as a great social scene, you can pick up loads of skills with your YFC that help with school, work and life. Check out the top five ways members have reaped the benefits

1

Be a leader

Taking on a club role – from Secretary to Chairman – can give members valuable life skills. The roles are great for developing confidence and demonstrating responsibility.

Claire Worden, NFYFC’s Chair of Council in 2013-14, used to find public speaking difficult. “I never imagined I could be the Chair of Council as I didn’t enjoy speaking to large groups but after taking on roles in my club and getting involved with the Competitions

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Steering Group, I suddenly found myself in the top seat! I have learnt a lot about chairing what can sometimes be heated discussions, and I found confidence to express my own opinions, negotiate and influence change.”

During Claire’s time as Chair, she also moved jobs. “My experiences during my chairmanship were invaluable in helping me to demonstrate my skills to future employers. I definitely owe my new job to the experiences I had as Chair of NFYFC,” added Claire.

2

compete

Taking part in a YFC competition could spark an interest in a new hobby or sport.

Blake Hallam from Henley YFC in Oxfordshire was recently recruited to the England Tug of War (ToW) team after years of playing the sport with his YFC. After enjoying the sport with YFC he joined his local ToW team Thames Valley. “The local team offered more training and put me through for the England trials,” explained 22-year-old Blake who is a fire fighter for Wallingford Fire and Rescue. “I have just competed with the England team in the UK Championships in Ireland.”

Blake coaches Abingdon YFC juniors ToW team as well as pulling with Henley YFC Seniors – who were both in the NFYFC ToW finals.

“Without YFC I wouldn’t have got this far,” said Blake who will now get to travel the world competing with the England team. “It’s something I have always wanted to do and worked really hard for.”

4

good marks

3

See the world

Every year NFYFC offers stacks of exclusive opportunities for Young Farmers to go on trips abroad. There is a range of homestays as well as working holidays to enjoy (see pgs 15-18).

Sammie Wilson from Ecceleshall YFC in Staffordshire found her NFYFC trip to Canada in 2012 changed the course of her career – and even helped her secure her first job. Growing up on a beef and sheep farm, she was surprised to find out how much she enjoyed dairy after staying on three different dairy farms in Ontario.

“When I got back from my amazing trip, I joined Harper Adams and started milking on a few local farms,” said Sammie. “During my placement year, I had wanted to go to a beef ranch in the US but after enjoying the dairy side so much in Canada I was really pleased to get a place on Arethusa Farm in Connecticut – famous around the world for its cows.”

Sammie worked on the farm for a year and was able to send home

some Jersey embryos which have now been reared on the family’s beef farms.

After her final year at Harper, Sammie now has a job with Cogent Breeding as Beef Genetics and Product Analyst, enabling her to work closely with the beef and dairy industry. “My YFC Travel trip definitely helped me to get to where I am now. If I hadn’t done the trip, I would never have considered going abroad in my placement year – and I wouldn’t have the job I have now.”

5

Loads of stuff Young Farmers get involved in with NFYFC could help out with school, college or uni projects.

But how about scoring yourself some extra qualifications too? Amy Swinbank, from Eden Valley YFC, found her involvement with the Youth Forum’s field-to-fork game for children was the perfect way to secure an Extended Project Qualification.

“I compared the Youth Forum’s game – Watch that Cowpat! – with another project and evaluated how successful the game is by testing it with a group of primary schoolchildren,” said Amy who is in year 13 at school and currently the Vice Chair of the Youth Forum.

The qualification is equivalent to half an A Level and will give her extra UCAS points to go towards entry requirements for university.

“It also helped me to gain more knowledge about food production and education, which I can use in my career as a primary school teacher.”

PROJECT: Amy in London when she helped pitch for funding for the game

skill up!

NFYFC offers a range of agricultural related courses, as well as others to help further your personal development. The training opportunities are a mixture of those delivered by specialist trainers, such as AHDB Beef and Lamb for stockjudging, to those delivered by members who have been trained to ITOL standards by NFYFC.

Rachel Bailey from Crewkerne YFC took part in a Cash Management course last year to help her in a new role as Club Treasurer.

“I had never written a cheque before or filled out a paying in book, so the course was really helpful. I am a trainee accountant and it helped to give me more background knowledge,” she said.

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23

the job

EGG-CELLENT: Aimee loves working with happy hens

A day in the life of a...

poultry

regional manager A love of birds and a desire to work with farmers led Aimee Mahony, from Market Bosworth YFC, to be a Regional Manager for one of the largest egg packers in the UK 8am Down on the farm I usually start the day on a farm and this morning I am visiting one of our egg producers to discuss a problem he’s having with cracks in his eggs. I use a candling lamp to check over the eggs’ surface as you can’t always see a deformity with your naked eye. I run tests and we find that the egg belt isn’t running in line with the packer, which is causing the eggs to slightly bump and

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then crack, which is easy to fix.

As a Regional Manager, I spend most of my time out on farms looking after 30 producers with egg laying farms in Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridge and Northampton. It’s quite a big area and I drive about 1,000 miles a week and make around three farm visits a day.

I joined the company after graduating from Harper Adams and more recently moved to Norfolk from the Midlands after

taking on the role as Regional Manager. I return to the Midlands at the weekends though and have stayed a member of Market Bosworth YFC. I didn’t set out to work in the poultry industry but I have always been interested in birds and had an aviary at home since I was a child. I never wanted to be stuck in an office and in this job I get to see so many people and travel a lot – including trips to see breed companies in France and Holland.

I always learn something new.

be stuck in o t d e t n a w “I never always been e v a h I . e ic an off in birds.” interested 10.30Am Happy hens Noble Foods own the happy eggs co. and I look after the happy egg farmers in my region. Today I’m visiting one of them to do an audit to check they are complying with our standards. I do these roughly every six weeks and they take about an hour. A typical unit will have around 16,000 birds and I need to ensure the play kits are in good condition – these include perches and sandpits for the hens. I also check feather cover, the litter and that the flock are healthy. Today’s farmer has happy hens so we have a drink and a chat and log his details on the audit form.

I am the first point of contact for the farmers and I get to know them and their families really well.

Sometimes their children will sit on my knee while we’re having a meeting and I’ll often be offered food if I’m there at lunchtime.

Being a young woman, who also looks younger than my 26 years, it was tricky at first to earn the trust of some of the more mature producers but I used

Get a job in the egg industry g a job Aimee passes on her top tips for gettin in the poultry industry: to get Get as much experience as you can. Try work a weekend job or volunteer to do some experience on a poultry farm. from Contacts – gather as many as you can fairs. rs caree and s show trade ct – I A degree in an agricultural related subje needed at least a 2:1.

Perfect your communications skills.

my experience of working as an auditor on farms in the Northern region to show my abilities.

1.30pm

Running a workshop This afternoon I am hosting a workshop for my producers. We hold three of these a year in my region and it gives me the chance to catch up with them over lunch.

I have to organise the event from securing the venue to booking the speakers and sending out invites – as well as chairing the event on the day.

I feel confident managing these events and that’s mainly due to my experience with YFC. I have been Secretary for my Club and so I am used to organising activities and liaising with members and parents – and I also sit on NFYFC’s Personal Development Steering Group and attend national Council meetings. Taking part in Public Speaking competitions has really helped my presentation skills too.

w

6pm Time for home I’m off home now so I can catch up on some writing for the Egg Express, as I am the editor of our internal newsletter. We send out copies quarterly to our producers and it’s filled with technical information as well as updates from the company. It can be frantic in the run up to the deadline but it keeps my brain stimulated!

I also have to do some work tonight on my online Masters qualification in Intensive Livestock Health and Production with the Royal Veterinary College. The company is supporting me to do this course and last year I completed a Postgraduate Certificate, which helped me to gain a better understanding of the supply chain. I have to do at least 12 hours a week and modules cover topics such as nutrition or welfare. It’s all useful information that I can pass on to my producers. It helps prove I’m not a bird brain but an expert on hens!

horticulture and to To search for jobs in agriculture or .hopsls.com register your CV, visit recruiters www

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e Farm Sponsored by Th

n Safety Foundatio

youTH

Xxxxxxxx

forum

“farmatsafety ter of can be a m

life or death”

Roadshows around the UK about farm safety are highlighting the worrying risks Young Farmers take

J

okes about falling asleep behind the wheel of a combine are no laughing matter for Youth Forum Chair Danielle McNulty.

The Young Farmer from Gloucestershire FYFC is only too aware of the impact a tragic accident can have on a community, so was shocked to hear others make light of potentially dangerous situations when she discussed farm safety on the recent Yellow Wellies roadshows.

Youth Forum members have been supporting the Farm Safety Foundation as they toured the county shows this summer with a pair of giant yellow wellies to raise awareness of farm safety.

“The hardest and most shocking thing has been seeing people with the attitude that it will always be like this. There’s just an acceptance that farming is not safe, rather than actually wanting to change it ,” said Danielle who believes it’s an issue that the industry needs to talk about more – and with even younger members.

“The message is getting out there and we’re supporting it on social media. But when we give our feedback to the Farm Safety Foundation on the campaign so far, we will be

26

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recommending that we target even younger people from around 10 years old. They haven’t started work on the farm yet so bad practices haven’t set in.

“Members I have spoken to in their 20s are taking too many risks and narrowly missing out on getting seriously hurt. Falling asleep behind a combine and only just waking up in time before you hit a ditch is not being safe! If you’re tired, you need to stop working because within seconds things could be very different.”

The Farm Safety Foundation will be delivering educational workshops next with schools and colleges and the Youth Forum will be attending these as

farm safety ambassadors.

“These interactive courses will be held on farms and I think the message will get through as people have come to something with their college or uni,” said Danielle. “My own community has experienced accidents and it makes you aware of the repercussions. If you take risks, you’re potentially damaging the fact you love to farm and you may not be able to anymore. “

Top Junior Alice Longmire, from Lowick YFC, believes experience is what clinched her Junior Member of the Year title Why did you enter?

I entered a few years ago but never got past County level. This was the last year I could compete, so I thought I’d have one last go.

Why do you think you won this time?

I have more experience – more on my CV and more of an understanding of NFYFC. In the last couple of years, I’ve taken part in more competitions and taken on more YFC roles, which has given me an understanding of how everything works – and what doesn’t work.

ROADSHOWS: Members of the Youth Forum Amy McWhirter (left) with Amy Swinbank (right) join former NFYFC Chair James Chapman at a road show.

Inset (top) NFYFC Vice Chair Chris Manley with the Yellow Wellies team (bottom) Danielle McNulty chats to young farmers at the Oxfordshire FYFC Rally

the campaign The Farm Safety Foundation is using Yellow Wellies as its campaign name and working with the Youth Forum to spread the word about farm safety. They are asking farmers ‘Who would fill your boots?’ in the event of an accident or death. There is a free Keep Clive Alive app available to download and educational workshops on farm safety will be running throughout the UK. You can find out more information at www.nfyfc.org.uk/getinvolved/farmsafety

What did the judges ask you?

I was asked about fracking so I was quite pleased that I’d done A-level Geography!

I’m currently the Cumbria Youth Forum Vice Chair and I’ll soon be going on to the national Youth Forum so I also spoke about letting younger members have a view because decisions are often made for them.

Are you excited about joining the Youth Forum?

Very! In the competition, I met some really good people and it’s interesting to see how different counties and areas work. It’s good to meet new people and be part of something that can make a difference for the whole federation.

Any advice for future competitors?

Be yourself, enjoy it and be passionate about what you’re talking about. Do your research on rural issues – there were lots of questions on that in all the rounds.

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27

yfc zone

your

shout! ews and views all of your Club n from around the NFYFC areas

Tweet! fc on Follow @nfy keep up twitter and s and with our new! yfc tweeters @dawesinator time in Having an amazing g @NFYFC India representin FC and @DerbyshireY 10 August 2015 @LynseyMartin8 ay at the Great meeting tod sitive farming summit, po ified progress and a un will be stance. Questions #yfcagri y air md ea #t asked 15 20 10 August @DevonYFC nuts to We are chuffed as have won the 10k prize. @SaintGobainUK and to m the to u yo k an Th fc #y ted vo o all wh 4 August 2015 @farmerparker for @ Can’t flipping wait all ValeYFC #WellyB pe to tomorrow night! Ho shireYFC see lots of @Lanca members there!

YFC #party#summer# 16 July 2015

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h ratings Rally scores hig shows,

e lar television gam Inspired by popu among hly hig ed rally rat Shropshire FYFC’s emed ’ at the event. TV-th the 800 ‘viewers t challenge.

Ou ipe W ed a Total competitions includ mplete a st the clock to co Teams raced again luding pools inc d assault course carefully designe to de sli hay, and a of water, bales of izes e. Points made pr lin ish fin e th reach o wh C d Oswestry YF for Whittington an y ck Be . ers ll winn were crowned overa C’s Secretary, said: YF ee Cl n ow Br n, Gree nt we our sponsors mea “Donations from ar.” ye is th nd d beyo could go above an

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Big 3 for Big C

It was a triathl on with a differe nce for current former membe and rs of Harleston YFC and Country when they cycl siders ed, rowed and ran more then 1400 miles fo r charity – with out even leavin clubhouse! The g the gruelling fundra iser that took pl in May helped ace the Club to rais e more than £5 Norfolk-based 50 for a charity called th e Big C that su people with ca pports ncer. Club lead er Helen Reeve “It was the first said: time in the Club ’s 77 years that a charity activity of this scale had take n place.

Congratulations to everyone for he lping out with such a fant astic event and to ra ise muchneeded funds fo r Big C.”

Climbing the three highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales proved too tempting as a fundraising mission as federations took on the challenge in 2015. Find out how these three did...

ern north

peak performance

A

fter travelling 1,055 miles to climb the three peaks in less than 24 hours, members of County Durham FYFC raised a whopping £3,500 for charity.

The mission, which was set by the County’s Chairman Christina Kemp, involved seven other members from Staindrop, Barnard Castle, Weardale and

Butsfield YFCs in June. The brave crew fought through snow and fog to complete their task.

One of the climbers, Chris Dobinson from Staindrop YFC, said: “The teams’ spirits were high, even managing jokes on the bus! Coming down a mountain is a lot easier than going up!”

The members raised money for the Teenage Cancer Trust and

Cancer Research in memory of the County President’s husband who recently died.

Well done to Chris Dobinson and James Stanwix from Staindrop YFC, Andrew Bell Barnard Castle YFC, Katie Maddison Weardale YFC and Richard Darlington, Ellen Hall and Amanda Watson Butsfield YFC as well as leader Christina Kemp.

sout h we st

wales walking rs pulled on their In July, membe ed Wales av br eir teeth and boots, gritted th n to climb io iss m n’s Meirio YFC’s Chair Iwan owdon in 24 fell Pike and Sn Ben Nevis, Scaf money ise ra nge was to hours. The challe tion of en ev Pr e th r fo ciety for the Royal So also s wa PA). Iwan, who Accidents (RoS ot and lb Ta ah nn Chair Ha joined by NFYFC ce as nt of Townson on the Vice Chair Jess r for his ise ra ose the fund Scaffell Pike, ch t in Wales en ev al nu an e – an Chair’s Challeng charity. en r the chair’s chos to raise funds fo

Over in Devon, six YFC members and four volunteers from The Far ming Community Netwo rk (FCN) raised more tha n £9,500 for climbing over 10,000ft in under 24 hours. The money wa s split between FCN and the Devon FYFC building fund, where the charity will be based. The group fac ed extreme conditions, wh ich included snow on Ben Nevis, a night walk wit h full moon for Scafell Pike and limited time on Snowdon, causing them to run to the Peak. Ge orgina Davie, member of Newton St Cyres YFC said: “Thanks to everyo ne who donated, and to the team who made it such an enjoyable and memorable trip.”

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TOP CLUB

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They might be one of the smallest clubs in Staffordshire FYFC but Lichfield YFC sure know how to fundraise!

Club: Lichfield YFC No. of members: 37 Best meeting: Farm tours Best comp: Stockjudging Surprise fact: The Club submitted the most amount of rally entries even though they are one of the smallest clubs in Staffordshire.

Charity: The Club raised over £3,000 in one day for The British Heart Foundation, thanks to a 20-mile tractor run around Lichfield involving 38 tractors. The charity run was held in memory of Paul Bettson, a local farmer and contractor who sadly passed away in November 2014 at just 53 years old due to a sudden heart attack.

Foam filled fun

For the fifth year running Skirlaugh YFC hosted its annual foam party.

The Club cleared out a large shed, carpeted it and filled it with foam. The evening also included entertainment from a DJ and the Club also set up a bar.

Tickets to the event, which was

ern north

held in July, sold out and nearly 500 guests joined in the foamy fun, raising much-needed funds for the Club.

Isabelle Moulds, Skirlaugh YFC’s Press and Publicity officer said: “It was a great success and we are hoping to run the event next year.”

nds midla east

udstock M t a g in e Party bined to mak

mping com their a BBQ and ca k Festival in July one of , ic us m ve Li oc , st ar ud ye M d shire’s its thir Nottingham t, which is in ith w en g ev r on la al t pu ac po e ng best yet. The Big Stuff as the headlin , ur De-To Falli sts oustic set, URS sted on The involved arti ac an g in m as ho perfor Alex Noble he festival w eered e Streets. T bers volunt am S em d m an d an rm l el Sto w th t Elect ou en S id e outsid County Pres g in ud cl Miller’s farm in r. “Members the event – east ho ran the ba w to help run t us B ern on Sim ith camping bers came w of and non-mem t was a great evening ha w y jo od en go gear to oves and azy dance m e live music, cr tinghamshir ot N , rk It’s not often you see 80 trac Cla tors in succession ” said Lauren t Officer. n, fu driving through your local elopmen village, but for residents County Dev of nine villages they were lucky enough to see the impressive convoy organis ed by Newborough YFC in May. It was the fourth yea r that Newborough had hosted the Tractor Roa d Run and this year they managed to raise £5,000 in aid of East Anglian Air Ambulance, the Club and in memory of Norman De Pear. Villagers lined the streets to see the tractors, which included a number from the local tractor dealerships. James Hallam raised the most sponsorship on his John Dee re 6170R and won the Alex McSorley Shield.

Prizes were also awarded for best fancy dress in both adult and children categories.

Tractor tour

south east

river antics Fun on the water for clubs in Oxfordshire

A

punting race proved to be the perfect summer activity for members of Oxfordshire FYFC. The event, organised by Henley YFC, involved eight punts and members raced up the river to see who could reach the pub the quickest (and driest), which was half an hour upstream.

After a quick drink and cheesy

chips at the pub, the crews headed back safely downstream to the boat house.

“Everyone was trying to get each other in the water by rocking boats or messing around not letting them back onto dry land,” explained Laura Gascoyne.

“We all enjoyed the evening and can’t wait until next year’s punting evening.”

ying to get each tr s a w e on ry ve “E ts r by rocking boa other in the wate d” or messing aroun

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r charity corne

Clay Shoot Who: Oundle YFC Charity: Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance and the Robert Horrell Macmillan Centre at Peterborough City Hospital.

What they did: It was the fifth annual Oundle YFC Charity Clay Shoot and raised over £7,000. The event involved 220 guns and expanded into a fifth stand making it a 50-bird day.

What they say: “With the event going from strength to strength we must thank all our sponsors, volunteers, competitors and our ever accommodating host,” said Becca Saunders.

got a story?!

DO YOU WANT TO SEE magazine? SEND YOUR YOUR CLUB IN the PHOTOS AND STORIES TO :

magazine@nfyfc.org.uk or 02476 857200 to talk to call the team!

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BUY BRITISH Prizes up for grabs and a MILK a fun spot the difference

fun stuff

WIN ÂŁ500 OF REGATTA GEAR EXCLUSIVELY FOR YOUNG FARMERS AT MOLE VALLEY FARMERS www.molevalleyfarmers.com/gemma-cairney-nfyfc

Spot the difference

There was plenty of action at our Tug of War competition in Tenbury. Can you spot five differences between the two pix of Whitley Chapel YFC members pulling to victory?