YFC members have returned from a week-long study session in Budapest inspired by how they can use media platforms to improve connections and opportunities for rural communities.
Four YFC members from England and Wales attended Rural Youth Europe’s (RYE) Spring Seminar, where they met with more than 20 young people from 12 different European countries.
Joe Knight from Norfolk and Olivia Eden from Devon represented England at the event, while Mollie Hooper from Radnor and Tomos Lewis from Pembrokeshire represented Wales.
Their week began with team building activities and an introduction to the centre, followed by an international buffet where each country shared its traditional food and culture.
“One of the highlights was definitely the international buffet where I tried a variety of food from Finnish chocolate to Armenian bread,” said Joe who found the buffet was a more relaxed way to connect with everyone.
“Another highlight was all the small random conversations we had. Everyone was so open to talking about their life, culture and agriculture. I discovered the word ‘rural’ is highly variable – I live in a village with a population of 3,000 which I would describe as rural. Ana from Spain lives in a village of just 17!”
The sessions held throughout the week explored key challenges facing rural communities, including misinformation, bias, democracy, and the role of data and algorithms in shaping the media landscape.
As well as a podcasting session, where they collaborated to create a podcast for the Rural Youth Europe channel, they also learned how to build a media platform and scale a business from Christos Papagiannas, co-founder of Rosa Media.
Joe said: “Throughout the week it became apparent how important media literacy and clear communication is in order to connect and learn from different cultures and ways of life.”
The ideas Joe picked up have inspired him to want to introduce a mentoring scheme in YFC, to inspire members to develop side hustles and to grow a business from scratch.
The most valuable part of these RYE trips is always the connections made with young people from across Europe. Joe has received numerous invites to people’s home countries.
“I found meeting new people the best part of the trip, sitting next to someone new at breakfast, lunch or during a coffee break while talking about your life and just being yourself,” said Joe. “It was so interesting learning about how similar everyone is despite growing up thousands of miles away!”
Delegates at the seminar concluded the week by contributing to a policy recommendation paper on rural youth, which aimed to strengthen social and community engagement, economic opportunities and participation in political decision-making.
For Joe, the trip has proven invaluable and he will be sharing his learnings with his club and county.
“This trip was the best week of my life,” admitted Joe. “I can’t put into words the amount I’ve learnt and gained from both a personal and academic development perspective.”
Rural Youth Europe trips for 2027 will be advertised later this year.
