For someone so passionate about Young Farmers' Clubs and committed to their future, Jenny has an astonishing admission to make. "When I first went to Young Farmers at the age of 16, I hated it! It was very snobby and cliquey. It was so bad that I didn't go back until I was 24.

"I'd been to college by then and had much more confidence, but, when I became club leader a few years later, I made sure that it would never be like that again."

This negative view is one that many of those who grew up in rural areas will be well aware of. Sadly, Jenny initially found that the stereotypical images she had heard about were not far from the truth.

But as an agricultural contractor, Jenny has spent much of her working life breaking down the barriers and obstacles that faced a woman in a male-dominated profession.

She's not one to be easily deterred and it was only a matter of time before she returned to Thirsk Young Farmers' Club and set about ringing in the changes. She became secretary and chairman and took on the role of club leader at the
age of 29.

"It was starting to change a bit by then, but a lot of progress has been made since. In the early days, people made you feel a bit inferior and the children of farm workers were looked down upon. There was a real 'them and us' feel to it. That has gone completely now and there is much more equality, although there are hardly any family farms left anyway.

"I knew how the snobbery had made me feel at the age of 16, so, as club leader, I made it my mission to make sure that people always felt welcome."

In another major shift away from Jenny's initial experience, today's Young Farmers' Clubs have a much broader mix of members. Not only has this given young people from local farms an opportunity to meet others from very different backgrounds, it also means that it's more inclusive.

Jenny says, "Now you find that some of the kids have never seen a baby animal – and that can apply to the children of arable farmers, as well as those not from farming backgrounds. Others simply won't have an idea where their food comes from.

"These days, friendship is the common thread the brings all the members together and some of the friendships made at Young Farmers' will last a lifetime. It is like a family, especially for those who don't go away to college."

The range of activities on offer is also much wider. Jenny concedes that there may be a need to ensure that Young Farmers' Clubs don't stray too far from their farming roots, adding: "Maybe that would encourage more young people to go into farming."

This influx of new members and more modern approach has enabled young women to try things that would once have been considered exclusively male pursuits, such as tractor driving and stock judging. In exchange, many of the male members are relaxed about having a go at flower arranging and cookery.

Jenny adds: "We had a girl who didn't know a thing about farming and had never touched an animal, but she quickly picked up stock judging skills and became absolutely brilliant at it – even though she still didn't want to touch the animals!"

"It's a big change for the young people to be able to try certain things, but it reflects what has happened in life. The younger generation are now much more confident and willing to have a go. They don't worry about making fools of themselves like we did in my day."

As well as forging lasting friendships, members can also learn skills that will set them in good stead for their future careers, from planning and staging events to the ability to present a rational argument and speak convincingly in public.

Although Jenny officially stepped down from her role as club leader last year, she continues to be involved with the running of the club and is more than happy to lend a supportive ear to members.

"I have seen two generations of young people through the club and it's great to see the children of some of the people I remember coming through the ranks, especially after we had a bit of a difficult spell a few years ago. Membership got to an all-time low so I literally had to ring around people I knew and encourage them to send their children along. Word spread quickly though, and it quickly took off again."