For more than 90 years The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC) has provided opportunities for rural young people to learn, develop and connect by empowering and enabling our Young Farmers’ Clubs (YFCs).
Our clubs are where each member’s YFC journey begins.
More than 560 clubs across England and Wales create safe spaces for young people to belong, learn essential life skills and play an active role in their communities.
The first Young Farmers’ Club opened in 1921 in Hemyock, Devon and over the following decade more clubs opened to provide agricultural education and a place to socialise with like-minded people.
While we are proud of our heritage we are also committed to ensuring our clubs can be enjoyed by anyone who is interested in the countryside through our programme of fun, learning and achievement.
More than 23,000 young people enjoy meeting in YFCs every week to take part in activities, make friends and learn new skills.
YFC is for Everyone and we are steered by our values of respect and integrity, collaboration and learning, ambition and inspiration.
We have maintained our position as the largest rural youth organisation in the UK and we are focused on continuing our relevancy and popularity with young people.
As we look ahead to our centenary in 2032, we have much to be proud about. Our new five-year strategy aims to secure our position as the leading member-led charity for rural young people.
Our strategy has been shaped by stakeholders across NFYFC.
Young people who are in membership age take on trustee roles on our Board of Management and shared their personal experiences and those of the members in their counties. We also ensured members voices' were heard through our annual membership survey, which had a 12% response rate, and through annual summits where we invited members to join us to talk in person about their experiences in YFC and suggest improvements.
This five-year plan sets out the direction for the organisation, ensuring we continue to deliver long-term benefit for young people in rural communities.
It will act as a clear North Star for us to be guided by on our path towards NFYFC’s centenary in 2032. It ensures the Federation remains member-led, financially sustainable, culturally relevant, and fit for the future.
To be the nation’s leading member‑led rural youth charity that empowers every young person to grow in confidence, develop skills, and realise their full potential.
To support the personal growth, confidence and wellbeing of members through inclusive, relevant programmes, networking, skills and leadership development.
Principle | We will... |
|---|---|
Evidence-informed | Use data to shape programmes, funding, decisions, and evaluation |
Member-led | Ensure young people shape decisions and experiences |
Federated and connected | Align national, county, and club levels while respecting autonomy |
Future-focused | Prepare for the 2032 centenary and beyond |
Inclusive | Apply equality and accessibility across all programmes and policies |
Sustainable | Consider environmental impact in every decision and initiative |
NFYFC’s 2026–2031 strategy is built around the four long-term strategic priorities, all of which run across the five-year period.
Financial sustainability is the foundation for delivering our mission at NFYFC.
Key Initiatives:
Our future depends on trust, inclusivity, and relevance.
Key Initiatives:
Insight into who we serve is essential for relevance, growth and impact. This ensures NFYFC continues to serve its members effectively, champions inclusive access to life skills and opportunities, and fulfils its national role as a leading rural youth charity and voice for young people.
Key Initiatives:
Sustainable impact depends on strong systems and processes, clear roles, and leadership development.
Key Initiatives:
Focus on stabilisation and strengthening our financial position, safeguarding arrangements, and core organisational capacity following recent challenges.
Prioritise improving NFYFC’s financial position, including reducing the operating deficit and strengthening income generation, to set the organisation on a path towards long-term financial sustainability.
The Board will undertake a strategic review to assess progress, financial position, capacity and external context. This review will allow NFYFC to refine priorities, adjust sequencing, and confirm investment focus for the remainder of the strategy period.
With insight from NFYFC’s membership survey, economic development agency Rose Regeneration used its Social Value Engine to translate the Membership Experience data into a single, comparable measure of social value. This enabled us to put a monetary figure on the social, economic and wellbeing outcomes YFCs deliver.
The analysis showed Young Farmers’ Clubs generate £4.51 of social good for every £1 NFYFC invests, totalling £10,024,953.
Social value captures benefits that are hard to price individually: improved health and emotional wellbeing, stronger friendships, increased confidence and better career prospects.
The Social Value Engine, accredited by Social Value International, applied the 2024 survey data to produce a robust estimate and packaged outcomes into policy-relevant categories aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
In monetary terms the report values ‘Good Health and Wellbeing’ at £6,620,918.26 and ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’ at £3,065,027.14, which supports the survey’s findings that 77% of members improved their career prospects, 89% increased confidence in public speaking, and 94% reported benefits for mental wellbeing and community connection.
Find out more about our social impact.
‘Doing the Right Thing’
WE WILL:
‘Working Together to Achieve’
WE WILL:
‘Being The Best We Can Be to Make a Difference’
WE WILL: