A nationwide campaign to support rural communities saw young farmers spend more than 4,000 hours fundraising and delivering community projects that benefited local residents, in time for the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) 85th birthday.
The NFYFC celebrates its 85th anniversary this week during National Young Farmers’ Week (18-24 September), following the successful campaign to support rural communities.
Members of the leading rural youth organisation spent more than 4,000 hours over the last year, as part of a nationwide campaign, fundraising and delivering community projects that benefited local residents.
The work was all part of an NFYFC campaign called the Countryside Challenge, funded by Pears Foundation and The Office for Civil Society.
Feedback from the campaign revealed that 100% of respondents who lived in the areas that benefited from a YFC project said that it would have a positive impact on their local community.
Survey findings also revealed how local communities viewed YFC members after the projects were completed, with the top three attributes for Young Farmers being friendly (95%), hard working (91%) and organised (87%). Other key qualities highlighted about YFC members were that they were inspiring and helpful.
Countryside Challenge
Projects ranged from cleaning up churchyards and village signs to hosting fundraising events to raise money for local causes.
NFYFC was able to give out £15,200 worth of funding to YFCs who applied for £400 to help them deliver their Countryside Challenge project.
This money paid for necessary tools and equipment or was reinvested back into club funds to help develop their club and activities for members.
Deputy Director of Pears Bridget McGing said: “The YFCs taking part in the Countryside Challenge have been particularly impressive in their ability to organise and manage social action projects. From the ambitious scale of the projects devised by the clubs, through to the careful budgeting, reporting and risk assessments carried out, the YFCs have definitely demonstrated the extraordinary potential of young people.”
As well as the Countryside Challenge, YFCs annually raise an estimated £1.2m for charity every year through fundraising and collectively spend thousands of hours supporting local community projects.
This amount is on top of the money they must raise to supplement the running costs of their clubs and the hours spent nurturing their members.
Communities and skills
This National Young Farmers’ Week, YFCs will be celebrating the positive impact they make on their rural communities and in developing young people’s skills.
The aim of the week is promote YFCs to more rural young people so they are aware of the benefits the Federation can offer them by providing an active social network and developing skills.
There are 24,500 members of NFYFC who are all offered opportunities to take on roles in their YFCs to help with the running, budgeting and management of their charity. There are also opportunities at a County, Area and National level as a member-led organisation.
NFYFC’s President Charlotte Smith said: “I am very proud to be the President of the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs and want the nation to know more about one of our countryside’s best kept secrets.
“YFC is more than farming - it’s one of the only rural youth services we have that helps develop young people’s skills and provides a much-needed social network in the countryside. Here’s to a successful National Young Farmers’ Week, raising awareness of this fantastic organisation and celebrating all that is great about our young people.”
