A lifelong Kenilworth resident who works on a dairy farm has relaunched Kenilworth Young Farmers Club (KYFC).
Dave Odell, 18, has re-established KYFC as a branch of the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs – the largest rural youth organisation in the UK dedicated to young people who have a passion for agriculture and rural life.
Dave, who has been involved in farming since the age of 10, has helped establish the KYFC as a way for young agricultural professionals and anyone with an interest in farming in and around Kenilworth to learn their craft and support each other as part of a community.
The club is led by young people aged from 10 to 28, and provides opportunities for them to develop skills, work in their local communities, enjoy social opportunities, travel abroad and compete in a varied competition programme.
Club members will be supporting the Kenilworth & District Agricultural Society at The Kenilworth Show, Warwickshire’s largest one-day agricultural show, on Saturday, June 4.
Dave, along with over 20 members of KYFC, will be hosting a series of fun activities on the day, which unfolds on the weekend of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee at a new site at Stoneleigh Park Estate.
He said: “We are a very active group with a big focus on supporting wellbeing and pushing the community aspect of farming, while reminding young people in the region that it is a great industry to be involved in and giving them the platform to become part of it.
“The club is already expanding very quickly but the Kenilworth Show will be a great chance to meet more new people who are interested, or just curious, about getting involved in farming. We can’t wait.
“We’re going to have club members involved in all sorts of activities on the day, whether that’s supporting the livestock or machinery sections, or on our stand where we will be fundraising for the club through fairground-style games.”
Charlie Beaty, chair of the Warwickshire Young Farmers Club, which oversees local clubs such as the KYFC, said: “With Kenilworth YFC having been dormant for a few years, it’s left a huge gap in the county.
“For Kenilworth and nearby residents, their next nearest clubs are around half an hour away, which just isn’t viable for a lot of them.
“It’s great to see the club up and running again, and the growth it’s seen in such a short period of time is testament to the need for one in the area.”
Charlie Weetman, Director of the Kenilworth Show, said: “We’re delighted that the KYFC will be joining us at this year’s show, representing the next generation of our local farming community.
“The Kenilworth Young Farmers Club has made a fantastic addition to the array of young farmers clubs in Warwickshire and will ensure that young people in the town’s farming industry will have an even stronger platform to learn and succeed and sustain the local agricultural community for years to come.”
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