Meet the Club of the Year Finalists 2025 who have been shortlisted from all our entries to be in the top five. Our judges have interviewed all the finalists and a winner and runner up will be announced at the awards ceremony on 8 November 2025.
The union of Pembrokeshire's two smallest clubs 10 years ago to form BrawdyHayscastle YFC has culminated in a successful club that has recently grown from single figures to 40 members – 11 of whom joined in 2024-25. Their varied club programme is shared at the start of the year, including activities for all with a focus on encouraging everyone to take part in competitions and learn new skills. Community-minded through events and hands-on projects, such as maintenance of the community centre, members ensure the club supports its local area. As well as following NFYFC’s safeguarding guidelines, the club also implemented a rule that all mobile devices should be handed in at the start of meetings, which has had a positive effect on club nights. Officers have worked hard to build this club to where it is today and firmly believe their ‘have-a-go’ attitude has contributed to their success.
This popular club, with 68 members in the 2024-25 membership year, has a majority of junior members and won the County’s Club of the Year Award. They have created a supportive and safe space for members – two members have completed Mental Health First Aid training – and they have good links with a local mental health charity. With a focus on safety, they have firm guidelines in place for junior members around transportation and collection from meetings. And they are also mindful of online safety too as officers are looking at develop their own workshop on cyber security. Active on social media, the club have built up a strong following on TikTok, alongside more in-person ways to promote their club at the local show. Communication with parents and members is strong and it’s clear the club work hard to ensure everyone feels involved and included.
This successful school club, which had 32 members in 2024-2025, has a waiting list for people wanting to join. With its own farm to enjoy on the school premises, there are plenty of opportunities to learn more about livestock and showing. They compete at many county shows, giving young people the opportunity to make connections with the farming community. They created a successful new initiative called ‘lambs on tour,’ which involved YFC members taking the club’s sock lambs out to visit nurseries and care homes. They also competed at their first NFYFC final in the Cookery competition – the first time a team had competed from Kent – and placed sixth. An elected committee support the club leader and communication is made through an online portal and social media. Safety is a priority – helped by the school’s safeguarding systems – and there’s extra precautions in place on the farm. This club is inspiring future farmers as well as building confidence and friendships.
Following the pandemic, there had been concerns Landrake YFC might close due to a lack of members but over the last few years the club has steadily re-built and now has 40 members – many of them retained from the previous year. The club is promoted locally through posters and on social media. They follow safeguarding guidelines and actively involve their advisory in the safe running of the club. Communication is strong, with a mix of meetings, WhatsApp groups and connections with their County Federation. They are keen supporters of the local community – holding an annual dung run that raises £2,000, and a charity recipe book raising £5,000 – and they volunteer at events. Keen to make connections with other clubs, they held a club exchange with a club in Buckinghamshire. Proud of how far they have come in the last few years, this club is keen to shout about their success.
With 20 dedicated members, Pailton & District YFC works hard to deliver a varied club programme that helps everyone feel involved. Keen to shine a light on key issues, the club actively gets involved in raising awareness on topics such as road safety, inclusivity and mental health. Meetings included competition practise as well as issue-based topics such as a session on sign language and another covering road safety. Communication is treated as a priority with a mixture of email and WhatsApp to different stakeholders, as well as its active social media profiles. Safeguarding is important to the club and they have set out clear policies and regularly promote messages around inclusivity. Despite being one of the smaller YFCs, they haven’t let it stop them from making a big impact on the lives of those in the club and in raising awareness of key issues.
