Cornish Young Farmers raise £8,500 for bereaved children

Two Young Farmers Clubs in Cornwall have raised £8,500 for a charity supporting bereaved children and young people across the county.

Launceston and Warleggan Young Farmers organised a series of fundraising events over the past 12 months, including sheep shearing, tractor runs, dung runs, big breakfasts, bingo nights and Christmas tree collections.

See also: Farmers step up to raise funds for two essential charities

The clubs recently presented cheques for £6,000 and £2,500 respectively to Penhaligon’s Friends, a charity providing bereavement support to children and young people aged up to 18 and their families.

£2,500 was raised by Warleggan YFC © Warleggan YFC

The money will help fund support groups and memory days, giving young people opportunities to share their experiences and remember loved ones.

Rising demand

The donations come amid rising demand for childhood bereavement services in Cornwall.

During 2025-26, Penhaligon’s Friends supported 1,304 bereaved children and young people, an 18% increase on the previous year.

The charity relies on grants and donations to maintain its services, making fundraising by community organisations an important source of support.

Julie Parker, chief executive of Penhaligon’s Friends, praised the clubs for their fundraising efforts.

“Not only are they raising money, but they are also helping to raise awareness of our services, enabling more families to know about the support available should they need it.”

Community fundraising

Ms Parker said the charity depended on grants and donations to support more than 1,000 bereaved children each year, with community fundraising playing an important role in sustaining its services and ensuring help remained available to families in the future.

With Young Farmers Clubs bringing together members aged 10 to 28, the charity hopes the partnerships will also encourage greater awareness of childhood bereavement within farming and rural communities.