YFC Members vote to invest in National Federation
Apr 23, 2023 • General
Young farmers have voted in favour of increasing the subscription fee to The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) to ensure vital services continue.
The motion to increase the national subscription fee from £25.80 to £30 was proposed by the NFYFC Council at the organisation’s 91st Annual General Meeting in Leamington Spa on 23 April 2023.
All 577 YFCs received two votes to use for each motion at the AGM, and a large majority voted to increase the national fee.
YFCs were warned that an increase was ‘essential’ if they wanted to continue to receive the same level of support and programming that is currently offered.
NFYFC Chair Rosie Bennett from Devon Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (FYFC) proposed the motion and asked YFC members to think about how much they valued their national organisation.
“As you can see from the accounts, we need our subscriptions to be able to run this Federation and I’ll argue that this Federation is what holds ‘Young Farmers’ together,” said Rosie during the meeting.
“NFYFC provides a massive amount of support to county staff, and this was highlighted mainly during Covid. Lots of counties furloughed staff and NFYFC enabled young farmers to continue. And look where we are now! Heading towards 25,000 members – a stronger position than we’ve been in for a very long time.”
The increase in the annual subscription fee to £30 means an individual will pay just 8p per day to be a member of NFYFC.
Marcus Bailey from Essex seconded the motion by asking the room to close their eyes and raise their hands when they had thought of a positive YFC memory. He then asked everyone to keep their hands raised if they felt that memory was worth 8p.
A number of speakers approached the lectern to speak in favour of the increase – with only one YFC member, John James from Somerset, raising concerns about the increase. He asked members to consider ways to help those in their counties that would find the increased cost difficult.
The AGM was live streamed over Zoom with YFC members able to watch the proceedings online. All votes were collected electronically, with clubs able to cast their votes online.
A rise to the membership fee is a positive move towards fixing NFYFC’s budget deficit, which worsened during the pandemic. NFYFC offered a reduced membership fee during the Covid-19 outbreak to encourage members to renew their membership during this challenging period.
Delme Harries, Chair of NFYFC’s Board of Management, said:
“The increase in the national subscription fee is very much welcomed and shows how much YFC members value the work of their national organisation.
“NFYFC’s role as an umbrella body to support YFCs and county federations is more vital than ever before. The legal obligations of running a charitable organisation have increased in complexity and NFYFC ensures the YFC community can meet those requirements.
“The increased membership fee ensures our financial stability and I am delighted that YFC members voted to invest in the future.”
NFYFC is also set to reach 25,000 YFC members by the end of this membership year, a total not seen since 1997.
