Yorkshire young farmers to table no confidence vote in national federation

Aggrieved members of young farmers clubs in Yorkshire have proposed a motion of '˜no confidence' in the national governing body, over concerns about how it handled a decision to axe its national convention.
By The Newsroom
Published 25th Sep 2018, 17:03 BST
Updated 25th Sep 2018, 18:07 BST

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Kirsty Searby, chairperson of the Yorkshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs, which has voted to table a 'no confidence' vote in the management board of the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs.Kirsty Searby, chairperson of the Yorkshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs, which has voted to table a 'no confidence' vote in the management board of the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs.
Kirsty Searby, chairperson of the Yorkshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs, which has voted to table a 'no confidence' vote in the management board of the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs.

The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs cancelled its annual get-together for members of affiliated clubs after drunken, anti-social behaviour marred the last event in Blackpool in May.

The Yorkshire Federation said members only learned of the decision via a news outlet’s Facebook page. An executive meeting of the group in Harrogate heard that this had caused “a massive feeling of resentment”.

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The ‘no confidence’ proposal was backed unanimously at the meeting which had been called to get members’ feedback on the convention’s cancellation.

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Kirsty Searby, chairperson of the Yorkshire Federation, said: “Our members agreed that the convention format needs looking at, maybe going down the lines of a festival, but the anger came from the way the decision to cancel was made; with members left to learn about it second-hand via social media.

“There were also strong feelings about the way the whole Blackpool affair was handled; with negative stories coming out from national rather than telling the public about all the good that young farmers do.”

Members of the Yorkshire Federation also voted in favour of a proposal to undertake a feasibility study that would examine the cost and other implications if the group was to severe ties with the national federation.

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At the meeting, members were critical too of a current membership survey, claiming the questions were posed in a way to generate only positive answers. A vote was taken to propose a new survey which should ask more open questions.

The Yorkshire group will table all three proposals at the national federation council meeting in Warwickshire on October 21.

A spokesperson for the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs said: “If a YFC county federation wishes to submit a vote of no confidence in the NFYFC Board of Management, the proposal must be submitted to NFYFC’s October Council meeting and any decisions will be made by Council members during that meeting.”

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