Scotland’s Young Farmers have been told to capitalise on their 75th anniversary year and use the celebrations to boost membership.
The call was made by president Sandy Wilkie at the annual meeting of the Scottish Association of Young Farmers’ Clubs in Glasgow.
Mr Wilkie said the anniversary year had seen the movement’s profile greatly increased through a variety of events, including a concert and dinner-dance in Glasgow last weekend, an hour-long special programme on TV and a host of other activities across Scotland.
Mr Wilkie, the marketing director of Muller Wiseman Dairies, said: “This has been a fantastic year, of that there is no doubt. There have been 12 big events so far and we’ve also created a Friends of Young Farmers organisation for past members and supporters. We need to capitalise on the year and make the best of it so that the core membership continues to grow,” he added.
The meeting heard moves to resurrect a YF club on Skye had been successful. North region chairman Stuart Jamieson said a band of enthusiastic individuals in Skye were behind that. He too said moves were afoot to rekindle the former YFC for Strathspey. He encouraged north region members to support that endeavour.
North region is also on February 15 going to host its first cabaret competition for clubs at Inverurie’s in the exchange at Inverurie’s Thainstone Centre. He added: “The biggest challenge will be in maintaining this momentum. If we can continue this it will be brilliant for the north region.”
International committee chairman Karen Stewart said there was also unprecedented interest from members in international exchanges. There had been 17 applications for travel support, with almost half of them coming from members in the Highlands and Grampian. Australia, Canada and the US remain the most popular destinations.
Scott Somerville reported on the resurrection of the association’s agri and rural affairs committee and the well-supported events it had run since the Royal Highland Show, including visits to Corskie at Garmouth, the arable, cattle and pig enterprise run by the Green family, and to Fearn, near Tain, where father and son James and John Scott showed members their extensive sheep and cattle operation.
Mr Somerville appealed to as many YFC members as possible to attend the next national meeting on December 15 at Edinburgh’s Moredun Research Institute, which is at the forefront of efforts globally to protect livestock health. It will be followed by a gathering in the Young Farmers’ Centre at Ingliston to discuss the future of the committee.
Annual accounts for the year to March 31 showed a healthy surplus of £62,539, a £41,400 increase on the previous year. Income at £489,555 was up £31,636.
Much of the surplus is linked to the Willie Davidson 75th Anniversary Fund. It was set up after the tragic death in a farm accident of vice-president Willie Davidson earlier this year. The fund will be used to help develop new clubs and support new promotional activities for clubs.
Mr Wilkie said the fund now had in excess of £60,000 in it. The target is for £100,000 and he appealed to all members to next year to devote their fundraising activities to it so the target can be reached and the anniversary celebrations leave a lasting legacy for the movement.