Staffordshire Young Farmers Clubs are pleased to announce that their Annual General Meeting (AGM) which is held on Friday 5th November is being supported again this year by Pickering and Butters, a firm of Staffordshire Solicitors who were founded over a century ago, with offices based in Stafford and Rugeley. The County AGM is usually attended by over 250 invited guests and members of the Federation and is the most prestigious meeting of the Staffordshire YFC year. This year the federation is delighted to be returning to the traditional face to face AGM format, rather than the virtual platform as last year. Retiring County Chairlady, Amy Boothby is looking forward to delivering a full report about another unusual year Staffordshire YFC which was blighted by the pandemic at the start and yet clubs still managed to continue to deliver online services and support in the local community. There was also a full re-start by May and a very successful County Show in August.
At the County AGM there will be several awards and presentations including the “Most Outstanding Chairman” and “The Merit Award” which is given for the most outstanding contribution made by an individual to their club and/or county as well as club awards for Community Work and Overall Competitions.
Amy Boothby, County Chairlady said “As a charitable youth organisation we are so grateful for the continued support from our sponsors. This enables our federation to continue to deliver its valuable services including a vast programme of Competitions, Social events, and training so that young people can come together in rural isolated areas within our clubs and county. We really appreciate Pickering and Butters, supporting Staffordshire YFC again this year at our County AGM, which will be a great celebration of how Staffordshire YFC survived the covid pandemic this year.”
Sean Spinetto, Head of Department for Business at Pickering and Butters said “We are honoured to continue our long association with Staffordshire YFC by sponsoring their 2021 AGM. We look after the interests of many clients in the rural community including those from a younger generation. We are privileged to be given the opportunity to support them in any way we can such as sponsoring this event and hope our relationship with Staffordshire YFC will continue to flourish”.
Staffordshire YFC Clubs are now fully operating on a weekly basis with 540 members joined to date aged 10 – 28 years. The start up from the new membership year on 1st September has been very positive and clubs are enjoying their face-to-face meetings to re-connect with their members. Weekly activities recently have including Ten Pin Bowling, Pumpkin Carving, Club Quiz and Farm Walks. The County has also held its first competitions of the year which have included Fence Erecting, Carcase Judging and 5 a Side Football as well as numerous training events for the newly elected Club Officers. A successful Autumn Ball was also held on 16th October at Pirelli Stadium, Burton on Trent with over 250 members and guests in attendance.
More information about the Staffordshire YFC AGM and details of how to join at YFC club is available on the website www.staffsyoungfarmers.org.uk or contact County Organiser, Julia Taylor on 07984 174557 for further details.
Guidance is available for all our Clubs from NFYFC when planning a Bonfire or Fireworks event. Please download the document here to work from to ensure that your event is held in keeping with the NFU Insurance Policy.
Last night was our carcass judging competition, kindly hosted by T G Sargeant’s in Bramshall.
Well done to everyone who took part, and placed individually. It was brilliant to see so many new faces having a go.
The overall results were:
1st Uttoxeter JNFU – Young Farmers
Thank you to The Farmers Arms, for hosting the results and putting on an excellent buffet, to T G Sargeants, to our judges- Matt, Pete and Simon, to our scorers and the stewards.
Further pictures can be found in our Carcase Judging gallery
On Sunday 26th September 2021, five clubs competed in the Fence Erecting Competition by kind invitation of Stone District SBAS Annual Match – this year held by kind permission of H Sant & Son at Hanchurch, with fencing materials kindly provided by W Burton & Sons
1st Place – Eccleshall YFC
2nd Place – Chase YFC
3rd Place – Waterhouses YFC
The first place team goes forward to the WMA round in Summer 2022.
Many thanks to the judges, stewards and everyone that contributed to the competition – as ever much appreciated
“Festive tractors take to the road”
The Staffordshire countryside will see around 100 festive tractors take to the road in a charity Christmas convoy on Sunday 5 December 2021. Arranged by South Staffs Water and Staffordshire Young Farmers Clubs, this will be the second time a cavalcade of tractors will travel the 20-mile route through the villages of Hamstall Ridware, Blithbury, Abbots Bromley, Blithfield, Colton and Hill Ridware in aid of charity. The first event was held in 2019, with 80 tractors joining the convoy. The tractors were lit up with Christmas lights, inflated Santas and one had a rotating Christmas tree. The 2019 event raised £4,138 which was split between three worthy charities, and was due to be repeated in 2020, before COVID struck.
This year’s event will be raising money for two charities; Staffordshire Young Farmers Clubs and Midlands Air Ambulance.
Nina Yiannoukos-Benton, senior catchment advisor at South Staffs Water, said:
“We work really closely with the Staffordshire Farmers, to ensure we maintain good wholesome drinking water for our customers so it’s amazing to be involved in the tractor run. We were so pleased at the numbers that took part in 2019 and to see the smiles on the people’s faces as we drove by was wonderful. We’d love everyone to get involved and watch the convoy along the route.”
Julia Taylor, County Organiser at Staffordshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs, said:
“The Christmas Tractor Run was a first of its kind for us to organise, working alongside South Staffs Water. We were completely overwhelmed by the amount of people who came out to support and give generously in 2019. The feedback from the tractor drivers, general public and all those involved has been really positive which is a very good for the agricultural industry. We’re taking booking for tractors to join this year’s event, visit our website for all the details.”
Booking forms to enter tractors can be found on the Staffordshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs website https://staffsyoungfarmers.org.uk/calendar/2021/12/christmas-tractor-run-2/ or call 01785 248645. The closing date for entries is 20 November.
Stone YFC “Extra Terrestrial” Show Float
Back after a year off from Stafford County Show, Staffordshire Young Farmers take to the main ring with record crowds enjoying the blazing sunshine on day two, Thursday 26th August 2021. They held their annual Young Farmers’ Show Float Competition with the theme this year being “80’s films”, which meant for plenty of construction, colour and fun on each float as they created some of the most well-known films from an era which many of them cannot even remember! The sponsor of the competition, BD Fuels of Hixon kindly judged the floats before and during their journey into the main ring of the County Showground. This prestigious competition, the highlight of the YFC calendar and one of the most popular ran by Staffordshire Young Farmers, draws the largest crowd to the main. This year clubs managed to still create them in the six-week window once all restrictions were fully lifted following covid 19.
Led in the main ring by a JCB on loan from C Wheawall Contractors, the Overall Float Competition was won by Stone Young Farmers who created scenes from the 1982 film, “ET!” Their float was complete with an elevating bike and inflatable aliens. This was a very big achievement for this club who only reformed after covid 19 early in May of this year. Second place was awarded to Cheadle YFC who recreated the film “Grease 2” also from 1982 which made for a very lively spectacle with music, T-Birds and Pink Ladies. In third place was Chase YFC this year, who bought the classic film “Dirty Dancing” to the main ring from 1987. Their float had some great scenery and artwork including the famous dance bridge. Fourth place was awarded to Uttoxeter JNFU for their depiction of the 1984 film, “Indiana Jones” which saw members in safari outfits complete with a spinning man and mineshaft!
Stone Young Farmers were also awarded the Best Name Board Shield for their well designed and colourful sign and they were closely followed by Eccleshall Young Farmers, with their sign themed to “Crocodile Dundee” as the runners up. This part of the competition was judged by Mr T Packwood and Miss V Glover, Vice Chairman and Mr & Mrs T Parrot, Vice President of the Staffordshire & Birmingham Agricultural Society.
Members on the Show Floats from nine clubs entertained the huge crowds and judges as they circled the Main Ring. After the year that everyone has experienced and the limitations to the clubs being able to meet Staffordshire YFC members thoroughly enjoy providing this entertainment to the general public and raising their profile, as a rural youth organisation which is all about fun, teamwork, learning and opportunities for anyone aged 10 to 28 years. After circling the ring in the heat, members were so pleased to get stuck into the water fight to cool down.
Staffordshire YFC has had an amazing two days at this year’s County Show. Their “Best of Staffordshire YFC” themed marquee has been full with people over the two days as members have put on a full programme of activities and competitions for everyone to enjoy. County Chairlady, Amy Boothby commented that “We have had a great two days at the County Show promoting what YFC is all about. The Show Floats were a fantastic and impressive display of skills including artwork, construction and obviously teamwork for weeks beforehand. We have attracted a brilliant crowd of supporters of all ages which makes for a lovely atmosphere at the show. All the clubs have worked so hard towards this week and this has definitely paid off.”
The Wednesday of the County Show saw clubs from around the County compete for the Tug of War silverware, the results were:
Male
1st – Waterhouses YFC, 2nd – Stone YFC, 3rd – Cheadle YFC
Female
1st – Waterhouses YFC, 2nd – Cheadle YFC, 3rd – Uttoxeter JNFU
Take a look at the photos
Each Club has 1m x 1m cube to promote their Club at this years Stafford County Show, the displays are judged and the results were:
1st – Cheadle YFC
2nd – Stone YFC
3rd – Ashley YFC
On Tuesday 17th August, Staffordshire Young Farmers Club hosted their Pre-Show Reception which was kindly sponsored by Abbotsholme School, RBA Wealth Management and HSKSG Accountants, in the Ingestre Suite on the County Showground instead of the usual YFC marquee to allow for more guests to attend comfortably. This was the first social event the federation had held following the last 18 months of challenging times during Covid 19, attended by over 200 sponsors, supporters and invited guests of the Federation and hosted by County Chairlady, Amy Boothby.
This year’s reception theme showcased “The Best of Staffordshire YFC” with winning entries on display from the recent YFC Static Competitions and some clubs delivering presentations about their community work and fundraising which they preserved with during the pandemic. Ashley YFC set up the Ashley Community Volunteers Service, delivering over 200 prescriptions during the height of last years lock down and members are continuing to offer services to the vulnerable in their local community including lifts to the hospital and a chat on the phone to those who are shielding. In addition to this, Ashley YFC explained about their fundraising held in December 2020, called “Covid-19 Days of Christmas” where they raised funds for Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) by holding a number of virtual events through their social media pages. On 7th – 8th August, Ashley YFC also arranged a CRY Screening Weekend for YFC members and the local community at Ashley Memorial Hall with over 160 young people checked and 10 referred for further testing. Ashley YFC presented a cheque to Tom Green from CRY for £657 on the evening which was gratefully received.
Eccleshall YFC have also been busy raising funds within their club, with members taking on the Three Peaks Challenge (climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowden in 24 hours) on 21st June. Beth Poynton, one of the members who completed the challenge explained how their adventure went, including times taken to climb each peak. After a long 24 hours, the club were really pleased to have raised over £685 which will be split between the Club funds and local charity, Terrible Titties and Other Bitties. The charity, based in Stafford, offers support to local people whose lives have been affected by cancer.
Uttoxeter JNFU (Young Farmers) also undertook a challenge earlier this year. Their Club Officers, Toby Hall, Kate Mollatt and Eddie Phillips alongside Club President, Francis Mollatt, completed a Sky Dive falling 15’000 feet back in May and raised over £1600. Funds were split between the club and The Farming Community Network (FCN), a voluntary charity which supports farmers and their families within the rural community. Club Chairman, Toby Hall explained to guests about the Sky Dive including his own personal experience which he reported as a “once in a lifetime” opportunity. Toby went on to present the cheque to Peter Hardy, Training and Development Manager for FCN.
As well as the community achievements by members across Staffordshire, there was entertainment for guests with the YFC’s Got Talent Competition, provided by members of Leek YFC with their own version of Shania Twain’s “That Don’t Impress Me Much” and a Two Ronnies Sketch with a YFC twist from Toby Hall and Rob Mollatt, of Uttoxeter JNFU.
Following the YFC’s Got Talent and various presentations, Amy explained to guests about The National Federation of Young Farmers (NFYFC) Achiever Awards, which celebrate rural young people across England and Wales in various categories including Community Supporter of the Year and New YFC Member of the Year. Last year, Emily Swinnerton, member of Eccleshall YFC came Runner Up in the Rural Entrepreneur of the Year category, with her business launched in February 2020, Preloved Country Clothing, selling brands which have been pre-owned including Jack Wills, Joules and Crew. Emily’s business is growing from strength to strength with her sales reaching not only UK wide but also international customers and she explained to guests through her presentation about her achievements so far, her passion for sustainability and her ambition to continue to grow the business further, hopefully by opening small shop.
The results of the Leslie T Chester Story Writing Competition (500 words using 15 given words) were announced by judge, Rachel Goldie, NFYFC Chairlady with Kate Oakes of Chase YFC taking 1st place for her story of Fred Pickles, a fictional local contented farmer. There was also a presentation by Polly Baines, Chairlady of the Staffordshire Young Farmers Ambassadors (YFA) who support members with the YFC Travel Programme, which is seeing a relaunch next year and some new trips being introduced, subject to travel restrictions at the time.
The evening was a great way for members and guests to start thinking ahead to the Staffordshire County Show, which is being held on Wednesday 25th – Thursday 26th August where Staffordshire YFC members will be promoting themselves and their clubs inside the YFC Marquee, erected next to the YFC Building on the showground. Development Chairladies, Beckie Phillips and Hannah Britland delivered a very witty poem explaining what activities will be taking place for YFC. Members will also be competitive on Wednesday evening as they “take the strain” in the main ring at 7.30pm with the Male and Female Tug of War Competition as well as on Thursday afternoon at 2.15pm with the very popular Show Floats, to the theme of “80’s Films” this year.
Amy Boothby, County Chairlady said “Last year, we were all saddened to learn that the County Show would not go ahead. I think the best of this YFC year is yet to come next week and hope that everyone is able to come and visit us inside the YFC Marquee for some light refreshments and much needed catching up.”
The evening closed with a buffet provided by the Staffordshire YFC Catering Committee, along with some much-needed socialising with guests, some of whom had not met up for over 2 years since the last Pre Show Reception.
Photographs from the evening were taken courtesy of Photographer Ian Barstow, @DraycottPhotography from Rocester Camera Club to view click here.
