Community Involvement

Community volunteering has always been an important part of being a young farmer with clubs taking part in the annual Club Community Challenge, offering help and support within their local communities.

From helping Carlisle residents clear up after the devastation of Storm Desmond, volunteering at local covid clinics through to organising a rally in support of Newton Rigg College, the young farmers hold their local communities very dear. 

Over the years, the young farmers have been recognised for their efforts and were delighted to be finalists in the Countryfile Farming Hero Awards in 2016 for their work during the floods of 2015. In 2021, the Southern District of Cumbria YFC were awarded the Cumbria Farm Business “Community Champion Award 2021” from John Cooke, Director of the awards sponsor Thompson Hayton Winkley. The award recognised “those who have gone above and beyond within their community to help, adapt and make a positive difference in life to those around them during the pandemic.”

Over recent years, Eden Valley and Pennine YFCs undertook maintenance work and tidying of the grounds at Bolton Primary School and Kirkby Stephen Primary School respectively. Wigton YFC made poppies and decorated the War Memorial and town for Remembrance Sunday. 

Lowick YFC carried out walling repairs, as did Grayrigg YFC around Grayrigg village and Crook YFC at carried out some much needed walling at Crosthwaite Primary School. Greysouthen YFC created some beautiful floral displays to give to local care homes and also planted hedges at the Cockermouth play park. Furness YFC worked hard at their supported housing gardening challenge and Sedbergh YFC completed a day of gardening and painting at Sedbergh Primary School. 

Drigg YFC undertook a beach clean up between Seascale and Drigg. Broughton YFC showed off their fencing skills by putting up and painting fences at their local school and Cartmel YFC tidied the grounds of Grange Primary School. Kent Estuary repaired walls, removed old play equipment and cleared up Heversham play park.