With the effects of the coronavirus outbreak placing increasing pressure on farmers, YFCs have pulled together to encourage connectivity between members and provide assistance to members of the local community.
The move has seen the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs (NFYFC) develop a new ‘At Home’ initiative, which will aim to help young people stay connected during isolation by offering practical guidance and completing activities for the wider farming community.
NFYFC chairman Dewi Parry highlighted the initiative was vital to ensuring the YFC community remained ‘in touch’ during this challenging time to ‘improve’ mental well-being and support those around them, adding: “Weekly meetings [prior to lockdown] had often been seen as a lifeline for a lot of members.”
Efforts by individual YFCs have also developed their own strategies to help spread positivity and lend a hand to those in need.
Erwood YFC, based near Builth Wells, Powys, now operate a Covid-19 support group, which organises food shops and prescription collections for vulnerable members of their community.
Competitions secretary of the club Emma Jones said: “The community is so supportive of our club so offering support at a time like this is the least we can do to pay back residents for all they have done for us over the years.”
Spirits high
Speaking of the importance of keeping spirits high, Ms Jones also highlighted the club’s involvement in the viral #toiletrollchallenge, a video which has edited clips of group members throwing a toilet roll between them through different farming locations.
Taking to Facebook, Erwood YFC treasurer Bryony Pritchard showcased the footage.
Ms Jones added: “Not only are we helping out where we can but challenges like this inject some laughter and positivity into what is a really worrying time for many and helps to bring people together.”
Cancellation
With the pandemic also resulting in the cancellation of YFC rallies across the UK, Ms Jones reinforced energy would now be injected into ‘ensuring’ its rally, which was to be held by Brecknock YFC on June 6, could be reorganised.
She said: “Many people look forward to this as it is an important event in the YFC calendar, but with the new YFC year starting in September, we are hoping it can start up again and i wish the same for all other county clubs.”