Club Officer check-in: 5 Minutes with...Eloise Hassett, St Albans YFC Seniors

Eloise Hassett has a busy job as Social Secretary organising activities for the 29 members of St Albans YFC Seniors in Hertfordshire – and its only her second year in Young Farmers.

Why did you want to take on a role in your club?

We are a small but growing club and after such a positive first year in YFC, I wanted to be a part of helping our club grow.

How is your club structured?

We meet every other Friday as St Albans Seniors (17-28). We find it works really well having meetings for Senior members, and has allowed us to retain the full age range of senior members.

How does your club plan its programme?

We ask our members what meetings they enjoy, and throughout the year we keep in popular meetings. We also include new ideas and suggestions from members, as well as taking inspiration from other clubs’ social media pages!

One of our best meeting ideas this year was playing chase the chicken through St Albans’ town!

How does your club recruit and welcome new members?

Most recently our dunk tank at Hertfordshire county show drew quite a crowd! It was a good laugh, showing off our fun side. There was lots of team working going into the 480 mile round trip and 1am finishes to get it ready – followed by a weekend of dunking.

How do you balance your club duties with your personal/professional life?

I am very lucky that we have a very well-balanced committee. If one of us is busier with work or personal commitments, someone else will lend a hand, even if it’s outside their own role. We really work as a team, which is so lovely and I am very grateful.

Tell us about a top skill you've developed through this role?

I’ve become much more confident at putting my ideas forward and into motion. It’s only my second year in YFC so it was extremely scary at first, but everyone’s been so supportive!

What's a challenge you have faced as a young leader of a club?

We are a small club, and sometimes struggle to advertise for new members to come along. I’ve really pushed our social media presence to help reach future members and promote what we are like as a club!

What one tip would you give to others in a similar role to you?

Don’t forget to reach out and ask for help from your committee or general members. You’ll always be pleasantly surprised by how many people will step up and help. The club works best when all the roles work as a team towards the club’s goals for the year (or beyond!)

Fancy coming along to a meeting? Feel free to drop us an email on stalbanssenior.youngfarmers@gmail.com.

If you would like to be featured in NFYFC's club officer check in, email media@nfyfc.org.uk. Find more information and guidance for club officers in the YFC Handbook.