Royal Show 2008

The 2008 Royal Show, proudly organised by the Royal Agricultural Society of England, is to take place from Thursday 3rd July to Sunday 6th July inclusive. The Show remains committed to promoting the Best of British Farming and also to providing an excellent family day out with action-packed entertainment for the whole family to enjoy!

The Royal Show team, in conjunction with the NFYFC is delighted to offer Young Farmers Club members a special ticket price of £11 per ticket if you purchase tickets in advance before 29th June 2008.

To take advantage of advanced ticket prices simply book online at www.royalshow.org.uk/tickets or call 0871 230 5590.

Brook to attend NFYFC Annual Convention

NFYFC is delighted that Brook, the national voluntary sector provider of free and confidential health advice and services specifically for young people, is able to attend the Annual Convention for a second year following a successful bid to the Department of Health. Brook advisors will be available in the registration area and throughout the weekend to talk to members and offer essential advice and information.

Year of Food and Farming

Click here for latest news and information

Help shape your industry

Can you help Lantra with a project on knowledge and skills in the land-based sector?

Take part in an on-line survey to make sure you have a say in skills, training and qualifications development in your industry. You can help improve future careers information and dispel some of the misconceptions about what is involved in a career in the land-based sector. If you work in the sector please take part visit www.lantra.co.uk/jobconsulter - survey ends 31 May.

NFYFC new newsletter name

Update: Please see the results below for the NFYFC newsletter name, as voted for by the members!

NFYFC council has shortlisted two of the suggested names put forward from the December Chairman's Day and now invites YFC members to vote for the publication title.

The first newsletter is due to be published in April 2008

Chairman’s Day 2007 (9th December 2007, Coventry)

Chairmen and Vice Chairman of 30 county federations and several Area Chairmen joined the national office holders and staff of the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs on Sunday 9th December 2007. Delegates met with the NFYFC Chairman of Council, Dan Halliday (Oxfordshire), and the Vice Chairmen of Council, Bryce Mackellar (Staffordshire) and Helen Roberts (Montgomeryshire). Also the chairmen of the NFYFC Steering Groups - Peter Garbutt (Yorkshire) Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Julia Sparkes (Yorkshire) Competitions; Christine Hope (Herefordshire) Personal Development; Mark Thomas (Somerset) represented the Events Steering Group.

The day included an overview of the work of the NFYFC, a presentation and discussion on effective communication was led by Hugh Broom, Farmers Weekly Columnist and Capitol Radio host and a presentation from Lantra was given by Mike Appleyard, Lantra’s Regional Partnership Manager.

Chairman’s Day 2007 was kindly sponsored by Lantra.

Programme for the day

Welcome & introductions

NFYFC and its work

What skills will you use in your year in office?

Your 3 targets for the year

Effective Communication ~ Hugh Broom, Farmers Weekly

How you can work with NFYFC?

Sharing ideas and good practice

Summary

Useful documents from the day

NFYFC Officers 2008

NFYFC and Wales Staff

Notes from workshop

Chairmans day presentation

West Midlands Area YFC's One Day Visioning Conference

The West Midlands Area of Young Farmers’ Clubs held a One Day Visioning Conference on Saturday 24 February. The aim of the event was to:

Increase capacity of the West Midlands counties through co-operation with each other and the sharing of best practice

Improve evaluation of activities

Capture data to improve planning of future events

Provide information to support funding applications

Develop a shared approach to personal development through a Training Needs Analysis

Increase the focus on equality and diversity

Develop shared values for the region

The overall outcome was to help develop an action plan for the next five years that will secure the future and growth of Young Farmers’ Clubs in the region.

56 attended the event, including partner agencies that are listed in the conference report attached.

If any other county federations or clubs within the YFC network would like to comment on the report or share any ideas then please contact:

Michelle Harrison (Regional Development Officer for WMAYFC) 01905 621891

The West Midlands Area is holding a meeting on 26 March to start compiling the action plan. Once in place the document will be available on the website. The West Midlands Area will also be holding regular reviews of it's progress and the next review is on 22 September.

Vision Conference Report

YFC members elect new officer team

Young Farmers’ Club (YFC) members elected their new national office holders and steering group chairmen on 21 October at their council meeting at Stoneleigh Park. Dan Halliday from Abingdon YFC, Oxfordshire was elected chairman of council, Bryce Mackellar from Stone YFC, Staffordshire was re-elected vice-chairman and Helen Roberts from Berriew YFC, Montgomeryshire was elected as the new vice-chairman.

They were joined by steering group chairmen Peter Garbutt from Great Smeaton YFC, Yorkshire (Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Julia Sparkes from Worth Valley YFC, Yorkshire (Competitions), and Christine Hope from Longtown YFC, Herefordshire (Personal Development). A new Events Steering Group was formed and will be jointly led by Andrew Todd from Horncastle YFC, Lincolnshire and Mark Thomas from Highbridge YFC, Somerset until the steering group’s inaugural meeting in January.

Read more...

NFYFC supports appeal

NFYFC is supporting an appeal being launched on Friday 19 October by the Farming Help Partnership charities in conjunction with Farmers Weekly. ARC-Addington Fund, Farm Crisis Network (FCN) and the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) work together as the Farming Help Partnership to provide complementary forms of help and support for the farming community. Flooding, Foot and Mouth Disease, Bluetongue and the prospect of a winter fodder shortage have made 2007 a tough year for many farmers and the Farming Help Partnership is launching the appeal to raise much-needed funds to provide assistance for those in need.

Donations to the appeal can be made online at www.justgiving.com/farminghelp help or by a cheque made payable to ‘Farming Help Appeal’ and sent to RABI, Shaw House, 27 West Way, Oxford, OX2 0QH.

If you are a farmer needing help, please call the FCN Helpline on 0845 367 9990, RABI on 01865 727888 or ARC-Addington Fund on 024 7669 0587.

For more information about the appeal, click here, or visit www.farminghelp.org.uk

Grand National Special Offer to YFC members

Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool - Saturday 5th April 2008

Attend the biggest sporting and social occasion of the year for just £16 - including refreshment!

Aintree Racecourse has teamed up with NFYFC to offer members a special priced ticket for the biggest sporting and social event of the year, the John Smith's Grand National on Saturday 5th April. The offer includes a free pie and pint and offers fantastic viewing of the first few fences on the Grand National course. This enclosure also offers unreserved seats overlooking the Mildmay and Grand National course, in addition to bars, betting and catering facilities, plus live entertainment. This enclosure is primarily uncovered and offers a traditional element embracing racing day out! To purchase tickets, it is recommended that YFC clubs nominate one member as the 'booker' to be responsible for collecting the money and making the booking.

Bookings can be made by telephone on 0151 522 2929 and members should quote “Young Farmers offer” to qualify.

Click here for further information on the Grand National.

Terms & Conditions
Payment can be made by credit/debit card or by person at the racecourse in cash. A £1.50 booking fee is charged for card payments. Reservations will not be secured until payment is made in full. A fee of £5 is added to the order to cover the cost of secure postage, however, tickets can be collected from the racecourse.

Competitions Weekend 2007

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Update:

Competitions results can be found online by clicking here
Photos from Competitions Weekend 2007, are available by clicking here

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More than 600 Young Farmers’ Club (YFC) members are expected to travel to the Staffordshire County Showground on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 October to take part in one of 19 national competition finals scheduled to take place over the course of the weekend. The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs’ (NFYFC’s) Competitions Weekend will take place at the showground for the first time, having moved from its traditional venue at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire.

YFC members will travel the length and breadth of England and Wales in order to take part in the competitions and many will have competed in county and regional rounds in order to earn their places in the finals. The competitions range from public speaking to sports competition and start at 9am on Saturday. The main presentation of awards will take place at 5.30pm on Saturday. Two of the sports competitions – mixed badminton and mixed basketball – will take place on Sunday.

YFC members and supporters attending the event can view the programme, map and dance poster by selecting each one below

Competitions Weekend Programme
Competitions Weekend Map
Dance poster and parental consent forms

NFYFC stock and carcase judging finals cancelled

Due to the recent outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease and Bluetongue, the Staffordshire and Birmingham Agricultural Exhibition Society has decided to cancel the English Winter Fair on 17–18 November. As such, NFYFC will be unable to hold its senior and intermediate carcase judging finals this year. Also cancelled due to the outbreaks are the live and carcase judging finals, which were due to take place at Countryside Live, Harrogate on 27–28 October, and the dairy stockjudging, Senior Stockman of the Year and Young Stockjudge of the Year finals, which were all due to take place at the Dairy Event, Stoneleigh Park on 19–20 September.

Helpful links:

Countryside Live official website

Dairy Event official website

English Winter Fair official website

Make your discovery in 2008

NFYFC’s International Selection Day is taking place on Saturday 8 December 2007 and the organisation is looking for 39 enthusiastic members to take part in the 22 international trips available through its Discovery 2008 programme.

Travelling with Discovery is a unique experience; it gives you the opportunity to experience new cultures, make new friends and really widen your horizons. You can choose between Homestay, Team Travel or Development, Educational and Working Exchanges. Argentina, Australia, Zambia and Norway are just four of the destinations on offer and the trips vary from one week to six months. In most cases, the cost is just the airfare, participation fee and insurance.

If you want to travel and be part of the Discovery programme, all you have to do is decide which trip appeals to you, apply and get selected!

Read more...

President's Message

I can hardly believe that nearly twelve months have passed since I wrote last year’s President’s message.

During the past year I have had the opportunity to travel to many parts of England and Wales, not only to meet and get to know many YFC members, but also to witness first-hand the immense talent that exists within YFC at all levels. Also, it has allowed me to view the wonderful landscape and areas in which many of you reside – for me this is priceless. I can only apologise to the county federations and clubs that kindly invited me to functions that I have not been able to attend.

I am sorry for all of you who have had your livelihoods and YFC events affected by the summer flooding and by foot and mouth restrictions. I know that in true YFC spirit all of you will rise to the challenges which this brings.

Read more...

YFC Skiing holiday 12th – 19th January 2008

www.skihighdays.com - Ski and snowboard holidays in Italy and France

In conjunction with the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs, SkiHighDays is organising a week wintersports holiday in the world class resort of Les Arcs 1800, France. The week is intended to be available to all YFC clubs nationwide, and in order to achieve this the price has been pitched low - £294.00 per person (excluding only your flight) – and the resort has been chosen because it is both a fantastic resort with an excellent snow record, highly suitable for both skiers and snowboarders, beginners and experts alike. It is also very accessible from Geneva airport. Geneva airport has flights from all over the UK, from Scotland in the north to Bournemouth in the South, and also Belfast, allowing everybody to join in. In particular, “easyjet” (www.easyjet.com) flights are both reliable and good value, but other airlines also fly there. The week itself will be relaxed, informal and fun. Activities will be organised by SkiHighDays (www.skihighdays.com) in order that all participants have the chance to get to know each other.

For further information, please call SkiHighDays directly at their office in Bristol, (0117 955 1814), and they will send you booking forms and an information pack.

Download our promotional pack

NFYFC Tractor challenge

To Celebrate 75 Years of NFYFC, Dan Halliday and Bryce Mackellar (NFYFC Vice-Chairmen of Council) are travelling around Britain on a New Holland T7040 Tractor (Courtesy of New Holland) - the aim being to up the profile of YFC and promote our superb organisation to the British public. They are going to travel to the most Eastern, Northern, Western (Wales) and Southern points of England and Wales, after departing from the New Holland Tractor Plant in Basildon, Essex, before finishing at NAC Royal Showground, Warwickshire in time for the Royal Show.

The pair depart Wednesday 27th June 2007 from Basildon.

The tractor will be run on B100 Biofuel, VERY kindly donated by Petrochem Carless Limited.

Click here to donate!

Should you wish to help promote the event, you can download the poster below:
PDF Version (3mb)
Jpeg Version (<1mb)

Recruitment Posters

The latest YFC recruitment poster is available for you to download as a Word Document or PDF document and add your own club contact details. Just download the English or Welsh version below, and simply add your club’s name and a contact number or, if you’ve got a specific event organised, why not use it to promote that?

Put the poster up anywhere were it might be seen by potential new members – in your local library, sports centre, post office, supermarket, college or school – but remember to ask permission first.

Happy recruiting!

English poster  Welsh poster 

English poster  Welsh poster

NFYFC Race Day

Ticket bookings for the annual NFYFC Race Day at Cheltenham Racecourse’s Open Meet on Sunday 18 November have now closed.

For those of you that have booked tickets click here to view the day’s programme.

Where do Young People Belong?

A conference exploring how the Heritage Lottery Fund can be used to support young people to:

explore their heritage

understand what it means to them

consider its impact on their lives and on the wider community, and its place in the youth work curriculum

Date: Tuesday 4th September 2007

Time: 10.15 am – 3.45pm

Venue: The Guildhall, Northampton

Young Roots conference document and application form

Rural Youth Network - Room to grow

NFYFC is pleased to promote this conference which takes place on Wednesday 23rd January, 9.30am – 4.45pm, Novotel Bristol Hotel, Victoria Street, Bristol, BS1 6HY.The conference will provide the opportunity to share good practice from around the country in meeting the challenges of Youth Matters Next Steps and the work that has already begun on establishing Integrated Youth Support Services and Targeted Youth Support.

Read more...

Management Adventure 2007

Twenty one members and staff have been taking part in NFYFC’s first Management Adventure course. Based at Manor Adventure in Shropshire members worked on a number of adventurous team challenges which included, climbing, abseiling, raft building and a high ropes course.

The weekend was designed to help members learn teamwork, communication and planning skills. NFYFC’s Training Officer, Chris Brewster said “ As well as being loads of fun, the members learnt a lot about themselves while developing new skills to help them in their club and county roles".

NFYFC officer team

YFC members elected their new national office holders at their council meeting at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire on 22 October. Catherine (Kate) Cross from Clitheroe YFC, Lancashire was elected chairman of council, Dan Halliday from Abingdon Senior YFC, Oxfordshire was re-elected vice-chairman and Bryce Mackellar from Stone YFC, Staffordshire was elected the new vice-chairman.

Four new steering group chairmen were also elected: Rachael Chamberlayne from St Mabyn YFC, Cornwall was elected chairman of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Steering Group; Michael Lewis from Orleton YFC, Herefordshire was elected chairman of the Competitions Steering Group; Mark Thomas from Oxted and Outwood YFC, Surrey was elected chairman of the Marketing and Membership Services Steering Group; and Jacomina Wakeford from the Bedfordshire Federation was elected chairman of the Personal Development Steering Group.