Confident in the future
IN ITS heyday, the Young Farmers movement had over 55,000 members, but in recent years membership has more than halved.
Some say that is an inevitable reflection of trends in agriculture, with ever-fewer people involved in the industry; others question whether the movement could do more to attract new members.
One staunch advocate of the NFYFC (National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs) is Lord Plumb. The one-time NFU president, who joined Young Farmers 70 years ago as a 10-year-old, attributes much of his own success to the skills he gained there. “I love the Young Farmers,” he says. “It”s the finest youth organisation in the country, if not the world.
“Today YFC has developed into a totally different body, with less agricultural and more rural emphasis. But it still remains a great movement and gives young people the opportunity to get together, improving confidence and teaching them about competition.”
Lord Plumb, now deputy president of the National Federation, adds: “It”s marvellous to witness the confidence gained by members. The first thing you”re taught is get up, speak up and shut up. I learnt the first two!”
The first Young Farmers clubs were set up in 1921 as a training ground for young people in rural areas. This developed into the creation of so-called calf clubs, where members were responsible for rearing a calf through to sale – in competition with other members.
opportunities
Lord Plumb acknowledges that the movement”s activities have changed considerably from those early days, but he believes it still offers members many valuable educational and social opportunities.
NFYFC national chairman Mark Grigg agrees, describing it as “the country”s premier rural youth organisation”. He reckons membership offers a host of personal development opportunities, with organisational, public speaking and team-working skills just some of the many areas members can develop.
“There is so much you can do or learn from YFC – membership broadens your outlook on life and you can get as much or as little out of it as you like.”
Current National YFC Member of the Year and Oxfordshire”s vice-chairman, Dan Halliday, adds that YFC membership opens many doors for 10 to 26-year-olds.
“With a county, area and national structure for sports and competitions, accredited training, worldwide travel and exchange opportunities, as well as the social aspect, YFC membership definitely represents much more than drinking beer!”
There are four steering groups members can get involved with: Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Personal Development; Competitions; and Membership and Marketing. These enable county representatives to voice their opinions on a national level, he says.
“With this structure, the entire organisation is run by the membership and this is what makes YFC so different from other organisations and so full of opportunities.”
Giving members the chance to develop their public speaking skills and confidence is another key aspect of being a young farmer, says Dan. “Public speaking is a massive personal skill that YFC cannot be matched on for its training. Confidence is a skill that does not come easily and I see it improving in other YFC members every week.
“On a personal basis, YFC has given me a massive amount of confidence. Within the movement I have learned to run meetings, lead teams, understand the concerns and wishes of others, as well as how to plan fundraising and social events.”
challenges
But like many organisations, NFYFC faces many challenges, says Mark, such as increasing health and safety legislation, problems attracting new members, rising insurance costs and the struggle of finding new funding.
NFYFC receives most of its money from membership levies, a Department of Education grant, a DEFRA grant and sponsorship from a range of organisations. As this funding comes under closer scrutiny and costs increase, budgets are becoming ever tighter and many clubs are struggling financially, he admits.
“Outside funding in terms of sponsorship is harder to come by and there is simply not the money out there that there used to be. Raising membership levies is guaranteed to be an emotive subject within Young Farmers and always causes a big debate at any AGM.
“But in the long term, members will inevitably have to pay more for subscriptions, or services offered will be compromised,” Mark warns.
Increasing legislation surrounding health and safety, child protection, and drug and alcohol regulations is an added obstacle at national, county and individual club level, he adds. “It is something we are just going to have to live with.”
The age structure of clubs is also changing, he points out. More older members are leaving their local clubs to go to university or college and are not returning because they are attracted by higher-paid careers in major towns or cities.
Today, NFYFC membership stands at around 23,000 in England and Wales, with a further 3200 members in the separate Scottish Association. Each club in NFYFC is affiliated to one of 51 County Federations, which are generally based on county boundaries. Ten years ago, for every junior member (10-16 years old), there were three senior members (17-26); today there are equal numbers in each group.
adapt Looking to the future, Mark believes all Young Farmers clubs must adapt to these changes and ensure they have a broad appeal to people from rural and urban backgrounds .
Clubs must also work more closely together, he says. NFYFC is doing this by building closer links with organisations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and arranging joint trips to Brussels.
Before such outings, though, there is the visit to Torquay on April 22-24 for members to look forward to. Anyone who doubts the commitment and enthusiasm of current members for the future of the organisation should meet some of the Convention delegates.
* Watch out for a round-up of events and pictures from Torquay in farmers weekly on Apr 29.