Coquetdale YFC, Northumberland
59 members
Coquet Valley – predominantly Thropton village hall
The club has enjoyed a wide range of meetings over the last two months. They had a visit from a mental health champion who talked through her own experiences and offered advice on where to look for support.
They have also been channelling their inner Mario and have been Go-Karting. Most importantly they received this year's rally rule book so have been plotting the defence of the Rally shield!
Upcoming meetings include a visit of a local haulage yard and a presentation by a local valuer.
They also had their charity fundraising presentation night, inviting along all the charities they have supported over the last 12 months.
Last year Coquetdale YFC hosted the County Rally and went on to win it for the first time in 88 years! The club won a total of nine cups and individual trophies.
At a county level we also picked up the Best Overall Stockjudging Team, Best Junior Stockjudging Team, Best Junior in the North, Best Novice in the North, The Dixon Shield (junior competitions' winners), the Kershaw Cup for the biggest increase in membership and the McLaren Griffen Bowl for the most improved club.
We love competing in every competition we can because we want to win but also for the social aspect. We have friends across the county in other clubs and it’s always good to catch up socially after a sports competition or quiz night.
We’ve said it before, and we will say it again; we believe that Northumberland YFC has the best Rally Day bar none. It’s the day we all look forward to as members and is already something we are concentrating on – line dancing practice is in full flow!
Tug of War is another competition we are looking to improve in. We worked extremely hard last year and gave all we could against some bigger more experienced teams, but we still managed to hold our own.
We recently donated £19,005 to seven different charities – which works out at almost £400 per member that has been raised.
The club has set up its own charity called CFY (Coquetdale Care for You) which aims to create an accessible trust fund for any members and young people from the local community who may require financial support for different issues. This was an idea from the club’s members and it’s the members that have started the ball rolling.
One of the biggest fundraisers of the year was the club’s first ever tractor run in December. It was organised in memory of a former member that sadly took his own life a few years ago.
The club organised a brilliant day in which over 50 vehicles took part followed by an activity back at the local mart. In total it raised over £10,000 and 9,000 of this went to the former members’ chosen charity, The Great North Air Ambulance.
The club also hosted its annual speed shear, which has become so successful it’s part of the northern speed shear completion circuit.
Other charity events included a Pizza, Pint and Quiz night and a raffle at the Christmas meal.
Coquetdale YFC have had a brilliant month, stemming from an amazing 12 months. The club has raised an impressive amount of money this year and have come up with a brilliant idea to set up a charity to provide financial support to young people in the local community.
The club has worked incredibly hard over the past 12 months to reach its strongest position in 20 years. Coquetdale YFC has achieved so much, with a predominantly young membership – 43% of members are juniors, and the majority are under 16 years of age.
The club’s success is down to its members and a very committed secretary Katy Dixon, who has been unbelievable. Her hard work has been recognised by the County as she was asked to be County Vice Chair this year.
Completed by a very proud former member and current Club President Darren Gray.
Wow! What an impressive club. Not just because of the amazing amount of funds raised but also because of their commitment to their community by setting up an additional charity to support them.
Setting up a new charity is no mean feat – and we applaud them for coming up with the idea and seeing it through. We can't wait to hear more about how this progresses.
What impressed us even more was the fact the membership demographic for this club is predominantly under 16 years of age. Their achievements are inspirational and evidence for other clubs that great things can be achieved when you work together.
Well done Coquetdale YFC!
