National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
Encyclopedia
The National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs (NFYFC) is the largest rural youth organisation of its kind, in the United Kingdom. The Federation covers various Young Farmers' Clubs (YFCs) throughout England and Wales
, helping support young people in agriculture
and the countryside. It does not include YFCs from Scotland
or Ireland
.
Over the next decade more clubs opened to provide agricultural education, with the focus on the keeping of growing and living things including calves, pigs, poultry, bees and gardens.
After the death of one of YFC's original founders and greatest inspirations, Lord Northcliffe, in 1922 the Ministry of Agriculture took on development of the organisation. But within six years it was proving difficult for it to offer the type of help needed by the members to organise the 50 clubs or offer guidance on the rural social role Young Farmers' Clubs were assuming.
In 1929 the National Council for Social Services (NCSS) stepped in with the goal of developing YFC as a voluntary, self-governing and self-generating organisation.
New clubs sprang up in Scotland, Northern Ireland and as far afield as Australia and New Zealand and by the outbreak of the Second World War, the federation included 412 clubs and 22 county federations with a membership of 15,000 people.
But the picture changed dramatically when the Board of Education (BoE) was empowered to give financial help to youth organisations including YFC. A joint advisory committee was formed between the BoE, Ministry of Agriculture and NFYFC. Though membership had dropped to just 7,000, YFC now had government help, and had undergone a wide change, educationally and socially.
It had become obvious that YFC could provide a countryside youth service and also clear it couldn’t do so with its existing staff, so the advisory committee made possible the appointment of an organiser for each county as part of the NFYFC staff.
Then, just as the organisers had been appointed in 1943, the Treasury decided grant aid from national government could not be used to appoint staff working at county level and YFC members were committed to shouldering the financial responsibility.
A resolution was passed at the national AGM in 1947 to devise a national scheme to encourage crafts and recognise and reward skill. It aimed to encourage YFCs to organise instruction on a wide range of subjects. This was developed throughout the 1950s and formally recognised as the National Proficiency Test Scheme. By the end of the decade 10,000 tests a year were being taken and many thousands more Young Famers were taking classes.
When the tests became a formal part of nationally recognised assessment schemes, uniform national standards became necessary, and as NFYFC did not have the necessary resources it gave up control of the scheme.
The national office moved from London to Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, in 1968. YFC influence spread and its standing as a national youth organisation became better understood. New avenues opened and the horizons of members broadened as they looked at things that would give YFC a wider involvement.
YFC worked hard in developing its international links and exchange programme and members were able to join the Council of European Young Agriculturalists (CEJA).
With great traditions and a successful past, YFC looked ahead to the next 50 years aiming to retain those traditions yet be flexible enough to attract young people who were becoming more sophisticated with each generation.
It had find a way of neither becoming a narrow single purpose organisation, nor a general youth organisation, of retaining its countryside and farming traditions and yet being sophisticated enough to appeal to a wide spectrum of young people.
Throughout the golden years morale in clubs was good, members were keen to participate. They raised large amounts of money for local and national charities and provided labour and leadership for community projects.
The Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee became a very effective force. Conservation, land use and agribusiness programmes were devised and the establishment of farm business tenancies was much influenced by this group.
YFC was encouraged by government, financial institutions, business and academia to continue its pioneering role and sponsorship and grants were made available to augment YFC's subscription income to finance developments.
Many members have gone on to represent their communities and agriculture at the highest levels on district and county councils, as MPs, MEPs and within the realms of agri-politics both nationally and in Brussels, where John Lee (Devon) was elected president of CEJA.
Membership is steadily increasing and there is a significant increase in the number of junior members joining the organisation.
NFYFC has been reviewing and evaluating its role within the rural youth and agricultural sectors ensuring it is able to continue to meet the needs of today's members.
The YFCs are grouped into 51 federation
s based mainly on county
boundaries. These are grouped further into six region
al areas in England and Wales
and together form the NFYFC.
The Young Farmers' Clubs organisation involves people who live, work, or have an interest in the countryside who join together to form an "open" Young Farmers' Club, where they can pursue their interests through a self-directed programme of activities encompassing agriculture
, sport
, community
volunteering
, the environment
and a full social programme.
England and Wales are also home to a limited number of school-based farm units, which often operate "School" Young Farmers' Clubs.
Federation
; responsible for organising the County events and activities and administration of national activities.
Federation areas:
The National Office is based at Stoneleigh Park
, Warwickshire
, and for more contact information, please visit The National website.
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
, helping support young people in agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and the countryside. It does not include YFCs from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
or Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
History
The first Young Farmers' Club opened in 1921 in Hemyock, Devon, where the United Dairies milk factory set children of the area's milk producers the task of calf rearing, with competitions and prizes for those achieving the highest standards.Over the next decade more clubs opened to provide agricultural education, with the focus on the keeping of growing and living things including calves, pigs, poultry, bees and gardens.
After the death of one of YFC's original founders and greatest inspirations, Lord Northcliffe, in 1922 the Ministry of Agriculture took on development of the organisation. But within six years it was proving difficult for it to offer the type of help needed by the members to organise the 50 clubs or offer guidance on the rural social role Young Farmers' Clubs were assuming.
In 1929 the National Council for Social Services (NCSS) stepped in with the goal of developing YFC as a voluntary, self-governing and self-generating organisation.
1930s
The National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs was formed in March 1932, with its head office in London.New clubs sprang up in Scotland, Northern Ireland and as far afield as Australia and New Zealand and by the outbreak of the Second World War, the federation included 412 clubs and 22 county federations with a membership of 15,000 people.
1940s and 1950s
The war years marked a turning point for YFC with the development of agricultural classes and proficiency tests, but were also nearly disastrous as many YFC supporters and staff were drawn into the armed forces or war work. Some clubs announced they were closing until after the war and by the end of 1940 few people held much hope of reviving YFC.But the picture changed dramatically when the Board of Education (BoE) was empowered to give financial help to youth organisations including YFC. A joint advisory committee was formed between the BoE, Ministry of Agriculture and NFYFC. Though membership had dropped to just 7,000, YFC now had government help, and had undergone a wide change, educationally and socially.
It had become obvious that YFC could provide a countryside youth service and also clear it couldn’t do so with its existing staff, so the advisory committee made possible the appointment of an organiser for each county as part of the NFYFC staff.
Then, just as the organisers had been appointed in 1943, the Treasury decided grant aid from national government could not be used to appoint staff working at county level and YFC members were committed to shouldering the financial responsibility.
A resolution was passed at the national AGM in 1947 to devise a national scheme to encourage crafts and recognise and reward skill. It aimed to encourage YFCs to organise instruction on a wide range of subjects. This was developed throughout the 1950s and formally recognised as the National Proficiency Test Scheme. By the end of the decade 10,000 tests a year were being taken and many thousands more Young Famers were taking classes.
When the tests became a formal part of nationally recognised assessment schemes, uniform national standards became necessary, and as NFYFC did not have the necessary resources it gave up control of the scheme.
1960s and 1970s
Society's swiftly changing attitudes in the 1960s helped to produce YFC members who felt that as they were contributing to the cost of their organisation they had the right to make the decisions, and who realised the positive role YFC could play.The national office moved from London to Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, in 1968. YFC influence spread and its standing as a national youth organisation became better understood. New avenues opened and the horizons of members broadened as they looked at things that would give YFC a wider involvement.
YFC worked hard in developing its international links and exchange programme and members were able to join the Council of European Young Agriculturalists (CEJA).
1980s and 1990s
As the federation celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1982, membership was at record level. The HQ at Stoneleigh Park was enlarged to include space for a training centre and improved motorway connections with the Midlands allowed members and county staff to take advantage of the courses offered. The result was a large group of senior members eager to serve as officers and leaders and use their skills to widen the organisation's thinking.With great traditions and a successful past, YFC looked ahead to the next 50 years aiming to retain those traditions yet be flexible enough to attract young people who were becoming more sophisticated with each generation.
It had find a way of neither becoming a narrow single purpose organisation, nor a general youth organisation, of retaining its countryside and farming traditions and yet being sophisticated enough to appeal to a wide spectrum of young people.
Throughout the golden years morale in clubs was good, members were keen to participate. They raised large amounts of money for local and national charities and provided labour and leadership for community projects.
The Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee became a very effective force. Conservation, land use and agribusiness programmes were devised and the establishment of farm business tenancies was much influenced by this group.
YFC was encouraged by government, financial institutions, business and academia to continue its pioneering role and sponsorship and grants were made available to augment YFC's subscription income to finance developments.
Many members have gone on to represent their communities and agriculture at the highest levels on district and county councils, as MPs, MEPs and within the realms of agri-politics both nationally and in Brussels, where John Lee (Devon) was elected president of CEJA.
2000s
The Foot and Mouth outbreak in 2001 affected the way the YFCs were able to function. Many members were affected and most clubs took the decision to close yet remained in contact by to ensure peer support was there at this crucial time.Membership is steadily increasing and there is a significant increase in the number of junior members joining the organisation.
NFYFC has been reviewing and evaluating its role within the rural youth and agricultural sectors ensuring it is able to continue to meet the needs of today's members.
Structure
Their memberships comprise over 23,000 young people aged between 10 and 26 years. YFCs are run by members for members, unlike most other youth organisations.The YFCs are grouped into 51 federation
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
s based mainly on county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
boundaries. These are grouped further into six region
Region
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
al areas in England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
and together form the NFYFC.
The Young Farmers' Clubs organisation involves people who live, work, or have an interest in the countryside who join together to form an "open" Young Farmers' Club, where they can pursue their interests through a self-directed programme of activities encompassing agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
, community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
volunteering
Volunteering
Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be...
, the environment
Environment (biophysical)
The biophysical environment is the combined modeling of the physical environment and the biological life forms within the environment, and includes all variables, parameters as well as conditions and modes inside the Earth's biosphere. The biophysical environment can be divided into two categories:...
and a full social programme.
England and Wales are also home to a limited number of school-based farm units, which often operate "School" Young Farmers' Clubs.
County
Each club is affiliated to its CountyCounty
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
Federation
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
; responsible for organising the County events and activities and administration of national activities.
Federation areas:
- Eastern England
- East MidlandsEast MidlandsThe East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
- Northern EnglandNorthern EnglandNorthern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
- South East EnglandSouth East EnglandSouth East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
- South West EnglandSouth West EnglandSouth West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
- WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
- West MidlandsWest Midlands (region)The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
National
All Clubs and Counties are affiliated to the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs whose role is to help ensure that programmes of personal social education through activities, which challenge the abilities, and capabilities of its members.The National Office is based at Stoneleigh Park
Stoneleigh Park
Stoneleigh Events is located south west of the village of Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, in the West Midlands of England.The site covers about , of which is maintained...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, and for more contact information, please visit The National website.
County
A List of Federations (alphabetically ordered by Federation name)- Bedfordshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Berkshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Brecknock Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Buckinghamshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Cheshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Cornwall Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Cumbria Young Farmers Clubs
- Derbyshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Devon Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Dorset Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- County Durham Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- East Riding of Yorkshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Essex Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Glamorgan Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Gloucestershire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Hampshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Herefordshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Hertfordshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Kent Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Lancashire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Leicestershire (and Rutland) Young Farmers'Leicestershire and Rutland Young FarmersLeicestershire and Rutland Young Farmers are part of the National organisation - National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs - aimed at young people in the rural community between the age of ten and twenty six.-Functions:...
- Lincolnshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Norfolk Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Northamptonshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Northumberland Federation Of Young Farmers Clubs
- Nottinghamshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Oxfordshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Pembrokeshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Shropshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Somerset Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Staffordshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Suffolk Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Surrey Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Warwickshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Wiltshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Worcestershire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
- Yorkshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs
Individual Clubs
A List of Young Farmers' Clubs (alphabetically ordered by club name)- Abingdon Young Farmers - Oxfordshire
- Buckingham Young Farmers
- Cawthorne Young Farmers Club - South West District of Yorkshire
- Chobham Young Farmers Club - Surrey
- Leek Young Farmers Club - Staffordshire
- Leighton Buzzard Young Farmers Club - Bedfordshire
- Llandefalle Young Farmers Club - Brecknockshire
- Maendy - Glamorgan
- Meopham and District Young Farmers - Kent
- Neath & District Young Farmers Club - Glamorgan, South Wales
- Northallerton Young Farmers Club - Cledales District - Yorkshire
- North Elmham Young Farmers Club - Mid Norfolk
- Painswick & District Young Farmers Club - Gloucestershire
- Pontefract Young Farmers Club - Went Valley
- Rainford Young Farmers Club- Lancashire
- Shefford Young Farmers Club - Berkshire
- Welsh Newton - Herefordshire
- Worth Valley - Yorkshire
- Wymondham - Norfolk
See also
- Farm WorldFarm WorldFarm World is a weekly USA farming technology magazine that has been published 51 weeks a year, every Wednesday, since 1955 and is owned by MidCountry Media, Inc., who bought it from Daily Mail and General Trust in 2009....
- International Union of Young Farmers
- European Council of Young Farmers
- European Rural Youth Forum
- Russian rural youth union
- United States Junior ChamberUnited States Junior ChamberThe United States Junior Chamber is a leadership training and civic organization for people between the ages of 18 and 41. Areas of emphasis are business development, management skills, individual training, community service, and international connections. The U.S...
- Canadian Young Farmers Forum