Blind drops, canoeing and mocktails made up a week of fun for junior members on NFYFC’s Youth Adventure in Herefordshire, this August.
A total of 35 YFC members from across England and Wales took part in outdoor activities at Biblins Youth Campsite, Herefordshire as part of the annual NFYFC trip for members aged between 14 and 17.
From raft building to axe throwing, activities were focused on teambuilding, boosting confidence and developing leaders.
For Pip, 15, from Lark Valley YFC in Suffolk, it was the second year she had attended the Youth Adventure, also enticing quite a few new faces from her county to join too.
“I made so many new friends on the first one. It was such a good experience, I wanted to go back,” said Pip who has been a member for five years and is the Club's Vice chair.
“Pretty much everyone from the previous year came again. They all said that they really enjoyed it, so they wanted to come back too. We all stayed in touch on a group chat and had been messaging each other, but it was really good to have an in person catch up as well.”
One of the highlights of the trip was a Blind Drop activity, where members were put into teams of eight, blindfolded and driven to an unknown location on the campsite. Supported by a leader, each team had to find their way back to the camp, protect seven eggs and collect items along the way, such as the biggest stick and best feather.
“It was quite a shock, but it was so much fun,” explained Pip about being dropped off at 7pm in a mystery location. “We found our way back quite quickly at first so we decided to go a bit more of a fun way, but then we got even more lost and we ended up being a few hours behind everyone else.
“We found a massive stick and we used everyone on the team to help carry it, but when we got lost, we lost our stick because we got worried it was too dark to get back. It was so much fun and such a good experience for team building.”
The activity proved a hit with sisters Eliza and Alice, both 14, who signed up for the Youth Adventure for the first time.
Eliza said: “I enjoyed the canoeing and the raft building and the Blind Drop – we came joint second. It was easy to make friends, everyone was just friendly.”
Eliza’s twin sister Alice found that because everyone was from YFC, it brought the group together quickly from the off.
Before the trip, many of the participants shared short introductory videos in a YFC WhatsApp group, which helped everyone put names to faces on arrival.
“It was my first time going away from home for that long,” said Alice. “It was really fun and the people were really friendly. We all got each other’s contact details and we still talk in our WhatsApp group.
“I’d definitely go next year as it was really fun and a lot of people I talked to said they would go next year so we get to meet up again.”
Many counties host trips away for junior members throughout the year but Pip felt attending a national event had some different benefits.
“At your county events you’re with your friends that you know beforehand and you know each other quite well. At national, you get put with new people, make new friends and everyone just clicks instantly. It’s such a good experience for meeting so many new people.”
With plans already underway for a trip in 2027, Pip is already excited about booking her place again.
“I 100% want to go again and again – and maybe one day help to lead it.”
Feedback from other participants has also been positive, with many of them sharing something they would take back or contribute to YFC. These ideas included introducing the blind-drop activity and bringing more farm safety content into their clubs following a session that was delivered during the week.
NFYFC’s Youth Adventure was supported by the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust, and provided transport at a subsidised cost to ensure it was accessible for everyone to attend.
