How the Young Farmers Club movement gives its members a 'family for life'

Pippa Norris is the current chairman of East Riding Federation of Young Farmers Clubs. Pippa took up her office in March having been chairman of her local club Bainton YFC from 2019-2021 and says that a county office has an important role to play in pulling clubs together.

“I always say that as soon as you’ve joined a young farmers club you’ve as good as joined a family for life. You make so many connections through it and everybody is there to help and wants you to do well not just from taking part in competitions such as stockmanship all the way through to public speaking, but also for the life experience it brings.

“I’m quite a shy person and there are things I’ve got involved in with young farmers that I would never have dreamed of doing but because it is such a friendly atmosphere it’s given me the confidence to try different things. The help is always out there. People support you through. It doesn’t matter how old you are whether you are 10 or 28 you can get so much out of it.

“And the county federation plays a really important part in all that. We have the national federation that oversees everything and then the Northern area. Then you have counties. County is where clubs can come and get advice and information. County then looks after the clusters of clubs and ensures the clubs and members get the support they need.

When many young farmers think of the word ‘County’ they usually associate it with a kind of Blankety Blank response of either Rally or Ball. Pippa said that County is much more than that, but the Ball that is coming up next month is extra special this year.

“County isn’t all about organising the County Rally, which is hosted through a different individual cluster that takes it on each year. It also hosts such as training sessions, such as one next weekend which will be held just a bit further out of the East Riding at the Crown Spa Hotel in Scarborough where each club will send four delegates.

“It gives club members from all of the different clubs in the county an opportunity to meet with others when they are not trying to beat each other in a competition. It’s a great time for team building within the county and often provides those who want to be involved in organising events with greater experience as well as giving them an ideal opportunity to see how things work away from their own clubs.

“This time of year is always good for this kind of weekend as it gives everyone chance to get to know each other before the new YFC year starts.

“Because East Riding Federation is such a small county in relative terms to the Yorkshire Federation it has, we feel, a real family atmosphere and it is lovely that everyone from as far as Goole to Bridlington knows each other.

Pippa said that East Riding Federation’s Grand Ball to be held at the Bonus Arena in Hull on Saturday 10 December has been organised as soon as it has been possible after the pandemic.

“We had planned a celebration of 100 years of the YFC movement, which began with a club in Devon, but obviously Covid made the organisation of that impossible, so we have been putting this together since March and we are celebrating 101 years!

“Our East Riding Federation was formed in 1944, so we’ve a way to go yet before our centenary, but some of the clubs in the East Riding have been on the go for over 85 years including what was originally known as South Holderness YFC and there are records we have that date back to 1936. We think that club became Roos YFC and that there was also a North Holderness YFC.

“But after the past two years we’ve all had through Covid we are just looking forward to a fantastic night where everyone ever associated with young farmers clubs can literally have a great time.

“The Bonus Arena has a capacity of 650 and we are already at nearly 500 but ticket sales close on 16 November.

“It’s all about celebrating an organisation that has brought about fun, fond memories, friendships and connections for life as well as a lifeline for such an isolated industry and we wanted to be able to invite all members, ex-members, family and friends of clubs across the county for a night like no other.

“We have organised a three-course meal, it’s a Christmas themed night with it being so close. We’ve got Rich Acklam who is the East Riding Federation’s favourite DJ and the incredible Southwest Band. We will also be raising money for Yorkshire Air Ambulance. We can guarantee it will be a night to remember.

Bainton YFC, Pippa’s home club, will most definitely be out in force. They kept their club going online with popular quiz nights and fun and games during lockdown and that’s why Pippa believes they have come out of it as a terrifically strong club in terms of their current membership.

“If ever anyone wants to see just how much the East Ridng Federation means to the members of all the clubs in the county they should come along to the Bonus Arena on Saturday 10 December,” says Pippa. “But you’d better be quick.