Thank you to everyone who joined us for our three regional conferences in September. Across the conferences at Westpoint Exeter, Harrogate Pavilions and John Deere’s Langar headquarters in Nottinghamshire, we brought together more than 170 volunteers, staff and trustees.
It was encouraging to see so many examples of excellent work taking place across the country. From attending farmers markets, ploughing matches and county shows, to providing vital support on our helpline and through casework, FCN volunteers are reaching so many people and making them aware of the support we can provide. It was also great to see such enthusiasm for our FarmWell website and resilience resources – with more than 30,000 people each year accessing them, highlighting the importance of our prevention-first approach.
As I highlighted at the conferences, any involvement with the charity, big or small, makes a huge difference. Never underestimate the power of a conversation, the importance of handing out a leaflet about our work, or the impact of a talk or presentation you may have delivered. Thank you for all that you do in support of our most vital farming community.
Westpoint Exeter
It was great to see so many volunteers, trustees and staff come together. In attendance we also had a host of excellent speakers including our Honorary President, Baroness Minette Batters (photographed), who joined us as we explored the theme of ‘Sharing our Farming Future’.
Harrogate Pavilions
The beautiful autumn day began with a prayer led by David Newlove and during the morning we heard updates on national activity, as well as from the counties in attendance. We enjoyed a panel session with 3 Young Farmers – Alex McMenemy, Robbie Tuer and Victoria Bracken – who spoke about the opportunities in farming they’d enjoyed most so far and their thoughts on the future. In the afternoon, groups worked through some different casework scenarios. We rounded off the day with 2 speakers. The first, Nick Gayton, a farmer from South Yorkshire and former Chair of Future Farmers of Yorkshire, spoke very movingly about the challenges life has presented him with so far, but with lots of hope and positivity for the future. Then, James Bush, a consultant from GSC Grays, talked us through the current situation the industry is in, and what we can expect in the coming months.
John Deere, Langar HQ
It was fantastic to see so many volunteers in attendance, in addition to our great speakers who covered topics such as bluetongue, SFI, and horizon scanning. We valued being joined by friends from Shropshire Rural Support, Lincolnshire Rural Support Network, Gloucestershire Farming Friends and other organisations. We are privileged to be part of such a supportive network.