Cumbria Young Farmers 50th Annual General Meeting
Nov 22, 2024 • General
Cumbria Young Farmers and their guests congregated at The George Hotel, Penrith, for their fiftieth Annual General Meeting on Friday 22nd November 2024. Young farmers past and present delighted in hearing about the achievements of the young farmers during an outstanding year of competitions and achievements.
County President, Mr John Garnett began by thanking the members of Cumbria YFC for giving him the honour and privilege of being their President, a role which he had loved every minute of. John continued by saying what a year Cumbria YFC had had, sweeping away the competition at the Northern Area Weekend and winning the Adrian Willis Trophy. With the Northern Area Officers also elected from Cumbria this year, the county had sent their “A Team”.
John went on to say that the two field days, blessed with glorious sunshine had showcased Cumbria YFC at its very best. John noted that although the two districts are different in many ways, they are always united when competing for Cumbria as a county.
John went on to say that he was incredibly proud of Cumbria YFC for their charitable and community work, with clubs raising over £80,000 for other charities during the past year. At a time when the young farmers are facing hardships themselves, both personally and as an organisation to see them give so much was incredible.
John thanked Charlotte Wilson for being a very special county Chair and for her amazing fundraising endeavours and went on to welcome incoming President Matthew and Chair Jack. As he brought his report to a close, John shared words of wisdom from the late Mrs Olive Clarke, Cumbria YFC’s Honorary Life Vice President “Young farmers never change, they just grow older.”
Chair, Charlotte Wilson was next to take her place at the lectern to give her Annual Report, reviewing the young farmer year in full. Charlotte said that so much had happened in the last year, huge milestones for Cumbria YFC as well as personal milestones and achievements that she has young farmers to thank for this. Kicking off her year with a whole host of events, dinner dances and competitions, Charlotte was blown away by the outstanding results at area and national events. A very proud moment for Charlotte was when she received news that Cumbria YFC and its young farmers had received 9 nominations in the national YFC Achiever Awards.
Charlotte continued by saying that she had started her year in office with two main goals; socials and charity work. With the successes of Bingo Loco and the Spring Dance, Charlotte achieved the first of her goals. With the Chair’s Charity Challenge, made up of two challenges, Charlotte met and surpassed her second goal. The 24 hour Danceathon raised a total of £3041 to split between Jigsaw Children’s Hospice and Cumbria YFC. The young farmers embraced Charlotte’s second fund raising activity by donating 210 shoe boxes to the Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Shoe Box Appeal.
Another key aspect of Charlotte’s year in office was her desire to focus on the mental health and well being of young people. Working in collaboration the Carlisle based charity iCan Wellbeing Group’s Project Leader Tash Wordsworth, a project centred on delivering mental health and wellbeing support had been developed. Following on from Charlotte’s introduction, Tash gave a presentation of the project and some of the tools, including EFT, pod casts and one to one meetings that would be rolled out and made available to the young farmers.
Charlotte concluded her speech by giving special thanks to her amazing support team, to John Garnett for being an excellent President and a good friend and to Matthew “Taz” Burbury and Jack Sowerby for their help and support. Thanks also went to the county office staff and to the Northern Area officials who had all done an amazing job.
Mr Kevin Batty, The County Treasurer, started his speech by thanking the Finance and General Purposes Committee, Auditor Mr Chris Winspear, county office staff and Mr Robert Wharton of Dodd and Co for administering the payroll.
Kevin gave an overview of the accounts, highlighting a small deficit and ongoing challenges. Kevin thanked Westmorland and Furness and Cumberland Councils for monies received for the Service Level Agreement which played an important part in funding the work of Cumbria YFC. The change in the organisation of the councils meant that it was becoming increasingly important for Cumbria YFC to demonstrate all the good work that the organisation does in supporting and training young people living and working within the county. Also thanked were the Francis C Scott Trust for their funding and Civils Store for the ongoing provision of office space.
Kevin continued his speech by stating that we’d moved to a new level of running costs due to inflation and the increased compliance requirements of running a youth organisation with the accounts demonstrating this. These costs are generally fixed in nature, bulky, subject to inflationary pressure and challenging to alter without a sudden change in the way the organisation operates and delivers its services to its members. However, as a county, Kevin emphasised that we are continuing to review and question costs which will feed through into savings.
Kevin brought his report to a close by commenting Cumbria YFC needs to focus on our strengths, that fact that we are one charity, as well as a member, club, district or county. We are all Cumbria Young Farmers and he is confident that we will all work together to keep the finances on track, keep supporting each other and keep moving forwards.
The AGM then continued in fine style, with the young farmers proceeding to propose and second their elected officers for the year. Mr Matthew Burbury was formally elected as the new Cumbria YFC County President. Born and brought up in Tasmania, Matthew or “Taz” as he is known amongst young farmers was part of a National YFC exchange visit to the UK in 1991, where he met his wife Alison who was on the NFYFC International Committee. Matthew, who is a Business Services Manager for H and H Group in Carlisle has been involved with Raughton Head YFC since 1994, working hard in the mid ‘90s to build the club into the powerhouse that it is today. Matthew and Alison live in Ivegill and have two children, Oliver and Emilia.
Mr Jack Sowerby from Eden Valley YFC was elected to the position of Cumbria YFC County Chair. Jack lives at Drybeck and works on the family farm. He is a keen member of the Upper Eden Tug of War Team and has competed for England. The Sowerby heritage as young farmer officials encompasses 3 generations. Jack’s Grandfather John Sowerby was elected County Chair of Lancashire YFC in 1968. 28 years later, in 1997, Neil Sowerby, Jack’s father became County Chair of Cumbria YFC. In another quirk of fate, Jack has also just been elected as Cumbria YFC County Chair, 28 years after his father!
Mrs Christine Knipe was elected as the incoming Vice President and Miss Abigail Graham from Walton YFC was elected as the incoming Vice Chair
Mr Kevin Batty was re-elected as County Treasurer and Mr Chris Winspear was re-elected as County Auditor.
Following the election of the new officials, trophies and Awards on the Night were announced as follows:
Top Club Award:
For the Club with the Greatest Increase in Membership over the Year: Kirklinton YFC
Alan Bowe Charity Award:
For the Club Raising the Most Money for Charity: Raughton Head YFC
High Sheriff of Cumbria Award:
For the Best YFC Community Project: Wigton YFC
Penrith Farmers’ and Kidd’s Chairman’s Trophy:
For the Club Making the Most Effort: Greysouthen YFC
The David Ross Memorial Trophy (Workshop Skills)
Awarded Alternate Years to the Club with the Highest Score at the Northern or Southern District Field Day: Grayrigg YFC
Dressmaking and Modelling Trophy:
Highest Placed Cumbrian in a Northern Area or NFYFC Craft Competition: Sarah Emmott, Greysouthen YFC
Mrs Dorrie Galbraith Trophy:
For the Member Making the Greatest Contribution to YFC, who has not been Recognised in Any Other Way: Ellen Elliott, Caldbeck YFC
Mr Neil Sowerby Trophy:
In Age Lifetime Contribution to Cumbria Young Farmers:
Josie Mitchinson, Raughton Head YFC
The Olive Clarke Trophy:
Awarded to the Club which has Shown the Most Initiative:
Eden Valley and Raughton Head YFCs
The High Sheriff of Cumbria and Deputy Lieutenant Mr Christopher Holmes presented the High Sheriff Award and Mr Drew Bailey, National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs Chair presented the Olive Clarke Award for the Club Showing the Most Initiative.
In recognition of the 50th Anniversary of the amalgamation of the Cumberland and Westmorland YFCS to create the Cumbria Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs, Mr Frank Chester kindly donated a new Just a Minute (22 – 28) trophy.
Incoming Chair Jack Sowerby was also honoured to be presented with the Chair’s Gavel, kindly donated by Mr Stephen Procter and made by Grayrigg YFC member John Handley in recognition of Cumbria YFC receiving the King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
Final thanks were made to Mrs Pat Bell for her ongoing work with the Friends of Cumbria YFC and for calling the FOC draw on the night along with Abigail Graham.
After a fine vote of thanks by Crook YFC member Maisie and as the evening drew to a close, outgoing President John Garnett tanked those present for attending and wished everyone a safe journey home.
