Pontrilas YFC, Herefordshire
We have 50 members (26 junior, 13 intermediate & 11 seniors).
We meet fortnightly at Ewyas Harold Memorial Hall and have socials throughout the year too - farm visits or trips out like go karting or laser tag!
Our recent activities include a Quiz & Curry night where we raised money for St Michaels Hospice and Midlands Air Ambulance, a games night with local clubs Craswall & Welsh Newton YFC and a 'lambing live' farm tour!
We have also been busy preparing for pre-rally and rally competitions! We also had a very busy winter as we entered the Entertainments competition for the first time in 28 years.
Our Chair Gracie completed her British Wool Sheep Shearing Blue Seal qualification just so we could have an entry in the Senior Sheep Shearing competition. The only competition we didn't have an entry for was the intermediate shearing – we had a member willing to do their Blue Seal but there was only one place left on the course!
Gracie had never shorn a sheep before and did find the course challenging. She received a lot of support from other shearers on Rally Day, which was very encouraging!
Other members also tried out new competitions for the first time, including Freya, who is 10 and entered the intermediate Floral Art and picked up an incredible third place!
We have some very talented intermediate and senior members who have helped juniors taking part in competitions for the first time, helping them feel as prepared and confident as possible going into Rally Day.
We had countless evenings practising dances, painting the exhibit and organising outfits leading up to the Rally – all taking place in our President’s garden!
We hold an annual draw and bingo in December which raises valuable funds for the club and we get a huge amount of support from local businesses who kindly donate prizes. We normally have over 60 prizes on offer!
We also hold our Quiz & Curry night each March and choose two charities to raise money for each year.
After the devastating floods in November, which affected a number of businesses and homes in Ewyas Harold, members turned out to help clean up. Our Vice Chair Harry was interviewed on Sky News and we even got a mention in Parliament!
Pontrilas was almost at the brink of closure a few years ago (around Covid) and now has over 50 members ranging from 10-28. We have a great mix of juniors and seniors but are still a very young club.
This month was Herefordshire’s County Rally and for the first time in 43 years, and for only the second time ever, Pontrilas YFC lifted the Rally Shield as winners of the day!
They also did so with a lead of 410 points over second place! We also won the Stockjudging Shield for intermediate and senior stockjudging and the Margaret Ayrton Trophy for all of the 'on stage' competitions on rally day.
One thing that Pontrilas YFC members are great at doing is supporting each other and reaching out if they need help.
We are all still beaming and can't quite believe that we have won after waiting so long!
Completed by: Pontrilas YFC member Chloe Watkins.
What stood out most was the overall story behind the club and the culture they seem to have built. Going from nearly closing a few years ago to now having over 50 active members is a massive achievement in itself, but we also liked how much their submission focused on supporting members, building confidence and getting people involved for the first time.
It's not just about a list of results or wins either – this genuinely feels like a club where everyone is encouraging each other and pulling together. We loved reading about how the older members are helping younger members prepare for competitions and Rally, alongside the amount of effort going into practices, exhibits and rally prep. This really summed up what Club of the Month should be! Well done Pontrilas!
