Securing financial stability at Walton YFC and watching it thrive has been one of the most rewarding experiences in YFC for NFYFC’s Senior Member of the Year 2026, supported by Lantra.
Abigail Graham, 29, was declared the winner of the national competition in April after competing in the final round at the Hafren Theatre in Montgomeryshire.
Cumbria’s County Chair had entered the competition in previous years, but this was Abigail’s first year reaching the national final. And the victory was made even sweeter as this is her final year in membership age.
“I was so shocked to have won, it’s a real honour,” said Abigail. “This is my final year in YFC, so it’s been lovely to look back at everything I have done over the last 18 years, and everything the club, district and county has achieved in that time as well. It’s a really nice way to end my time in Young Farmers.”
Abigail joined Walton YFC when she was 10 years old and has held many roles in the club including club chair and minutes secretary. She took on the position of treasurer for 10 years, helping to ensure the club’s long-term financial stability.
Abigail went on to hold roles at a District, County and Area level and is currently County Chair for Cumbria, where she is using her treasurer experience and a career in accountancy to ensure the county is financially secure.
Over the last year, she has been exploring ways to ensure senior members are more engaged in the Federation and has introduced more social activities such as paddle boarding evenings.
“We organised a trip to Honister Slate Mine, which was a really nice way for all the chairs and secretaries and senior members of different clubs to come together and get to know each other,” said Abigail who shared her initiatives with the judges in a formal interview as part of the competition.
As well as completing a synopsis form to share more details about her time in YFC in advance of the final, Abigail also had to take part in a stage interview during the first day of the Performing Arts finals.
“It was very nerve wracking, especially the on-stage interview, we don’t do that in Area rounds so I was particularly nervous about that,” admitted Abigail.
Any nerves proved unnecessary in the end as judge Andrew Palmer Head of Agriculture at Lantra said the judges were impressed with Abigail’s approach to supporting her county.
“The calibre was so high. Abigail had just done something different to try and change the thinking at national. As a club and a county they had tried to address that, and for me that was the stand-out part that made her different,” explained Andrew about Abigail’s leadership in tackling the county’s concerns.
“Each candidate had a strength in a particular area. Some of them were addressing some of the issues that are concerning YFC at the moment in a very professional and grown-up manner for such a young age, which was good to see.
“This is my second year as a judge [previously judged the Junior Member of the Year] and I’ve loved it. Seeing the competitions as well as doing the judging has been really good.”
The judges awarded Ellie Westaway from Gloucestershire second place, with Sian Davies from Radnor coming third.
Well done to finalists Ollie Raybould from Worcestershire, Autumn Handscombe from Bedfordshire, Isabel Chennells from Nottinghamshire and Victoria Ackrill from Berkshire.
