| Dorset Young Farmers |
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| Written by Josie Sollis | |
| Thursday, 05 August 2010 | |
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11:26:2711:26:30 About Dorset YFCDorset YFC covers the county of Dorset with a total of 10 clubs covering all areas in Dorset from Gillingham & Shaftesbury in the North to Marshwood Vale in the West to Dorchester in the South and Wareham & Purbeck in the East. These are just some of the clubs plus another 7 clubs covering the county. Why Join? By joining a Young Farmers Club you open the door to a world of opportunity where you can meet new people, learn skills, help the community, travel abroad, compete in many competitions from simple club vs club formats all the way up to national level, and of course the opportunity to have a great time doing it all! The other key attribute of YFC is that the members of clubs are the ones who run them. Not only is this another opportunity to learn and to gain new experience which could prove handy on a CV, but it also means that clubs only do those things that they feel are fun and important. Competitions Yes, we’ve got loads of competitions! They're a major part of YFC life and you’re bound to want to have a go yourself. You’ll find at least one event you can’t resist and you only have to talk to one of our members to know that it’s pretty addictive once you’ve started! It doesn’t matter how old you are, how fit you are or what skills you already have. They’re open to everyone and there’s always someone who can get you in training or help you get the skills you need to take part. From stock judging to sewing, public speaking to ploughing. You can start off at a local level and then find yourself competing in the national championships – anything’s possible.And in the true spirit of YFC, if there isn’t a competition that’s’ up you street, you can start one! Our competitions programme gets better every year and that’s all down to ourmembers. You may want a web site design competition or a Tomb Raider challenge – whatever it is, there’s bound to be room for it in the YFC competitions calendar.On a more serious note, it’s worth remembering that competitions are not just about competing with your friends and other clubs, they can lead to much bigger things. Lots of our members have gone on to make a career out of the skills they learnt in YFC – it’s a great way of finding out what you’re good at and enjoy! Socialising Young Farmers Clubs (YFC) gives you a great opportunity to socialise and make many new friends. There are literally hundreds of YFC events every year ranging from local YFC discos to the Grand Winter Ball. Being a YFC member provides you with a network of friends to share ideas and transport to help you get out and about. Sport There are many sports in which members can take part such as football, rugby, netball, hockey, ten pin bowling, tug of war and many more. Sports are a great way to meet other members. The competitions are open to all (age 10 to 26), whatever your ability. Always remember the aim of the game is to enjoy it! Conservation Many clubs undertake a Countryside Action Project. These are usually based on local ideas aimed at improving the local environment or helping the community, all being eligible for local and National awards. Projects are hard work, but everyone has plenty of fun and gains a sense of achievement. Charity Both Local and National Charities benefit from charity work undertaken by YFC throughout Dorset. Events range from sponsored bike rides, producing your own calenders to bed pushes to plastic duck races.These events are always full of FUN!Entertainments Every year each club has the opportunity to perform a drama or an entertainments production, this involves the whole club from acting and performing to designing and building the props and scenery. Carnival floats can be another exciting way of joining in with local public events. Travel Do you want to be involved in an International Experience? Yes? Well, if you are a Young Farmer trips vary from Club & County exchanges to Cultural and Homestay tours. You can travel to a huge variety of places and be involved in as many things. From Amsterdam to Australia, you can go anywhere with Young Farmers! Skills For Life As a member you will have many opportunities to learn lots of new skills as part of your club programme, ranging from public speaking and debating to Fist Aid Training or computer skills. On completion of Skills for Life projects you will receive a YFC Certificate of Achievement, which could help you in job seeking. Find out more about the range of courses available as a member of YFC. Training As members of your club various weekends are available ranging from an under 18's 'Intents' camping weekend full of outdoor activities & various exercises, to weekends for the lead officers (Chairmen & Secretaries) helping them to run the clubs more effectively. Information for parents About YFC All club meetings are organised and run YFC members themselves. The club elects club officers annually to take responsibility for the club on behalf of its members. The club officers (chairman, secretary, treasurer, leader, etc) have overall responsibility for the Young Farmers’ Club and the activities members take part in. Roles include: chairman, vice chairman, secretary, treasurer, programme secretary and club leaders. At least three officers will be at each of the Young Farmers’ meetings and events and these officers take responsibility for the under-18s present. All of these officers must complete a CRB form which is sent to the County YFC Office, where checks are made to ascertain the individuals’ suitability for working with young people. Club officers are also expected to attend training on the supervision of under-18s organised by the County Federation annually. In addition, all staff employed by the County Federations and the NFYFC undergo CRB checks. Club leaders In addition to the club officers, there is a dedicated team of adult volunteers who are elected to help support the Young Farmers’Club with activities such as fund-raising, the programme and helping the YFC members develop new skills and opportunities. The efforts of all these people are co-ordinated by the club officers.A leader, and indeed any form of ‘helper’ at the YFC meeting, has to complete a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) form which is sent to the County YFC Office where checks are made to ascertain their suitability for working with young people Club meetings All club members are involved in putting ideas forward for the club programme and a nominated few are tasked with the responsibility for organising it. Generally, the Young Farmers’ Club programme is planned seasonally to include a mixture of practical hands-on activities, training and competition practice as well as inviting guest speakers. Behaviour & discipline All YFC members are expected to behave well and appropriately. Inappropriate behaviour will not be accepted. Older YFC members, and in particular club officers, are expected to set a good example to younger members of the club. Additional needs YFC encourages all young people to join. If your child requires any additional help with any activity, or has any particular needs please speak to one of the club officers. Becoming a Member There may be a School, Junior or Open Club in your area. Simply choose a club that suits you, find out where and when club meetings and activities take place and go along. If you can, take along a friend it may not seem quite so daunting to enter a room full of people who already know each other. If you are aged 10-26 and are interested in finding out more about a local club to join please contact Josie Sollis at the County Office ( details below ). We will advise you of clubs in your area and which one would most suit YOU. We are Everywhere! There are 10 clubs across Dorset - but there are no set boundaries, the choice is yours. Beaminster, Blandford, Dorchester, Gillingham & Shaftesbury, Hermitage & Hilfield, Marshwood Vale, Puddletown, Sherborne, Sturminster Newton and Wareham & Purbeck.. Why not look through this website and find out what Young Farmers is all about. The best starting place for most things to do with the Dorset YFC is to get in touch with the County Team. Josie is the County Administrator, in the office on Mon, Wed & Fri 10-2pm Stinsford Business Centre |
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 05 August 2010 ) |