6th June 2009
National President's Message
I would like to thank you for giving me the honour and privilege of being your National President for a third year. It is a position I hold most dearly.
In 2005, YFC members requested a grass roots President, who would be prepared to go out and meet members on their own home territory. To the best of my ability, I am trying to do just that. Obviously I get many invitations to YFC events, more than I can attend. I apologise to those counties who I have not yet managed to visit. However, I am trying to make sure that during my Presidency I attend at least one major YFC event in each county of England and Wales, so that I can continue to witness the amazing talent of all the young members.
I am delighted to see how so many YFC members have helped to promote the Year of Food Farming and I congratulate you all. The new national competition theme of Climate Change is particularly topical to us all.
Funding for YFC at all levels is a challenge, but one that we can all rise to. The meeting of your National Council in April allowed your representatives to approve plans to ensure the smooth-running of NFYFC despite a shortfall in projected funding. The NFYFC staff team has worked hard to ensure that development plans as well as national events continue to a high standard. Future work will ensure that the whole organisation continues its good work but also continues to modernise and keep up with the many changes that it faces.
I am pleased to see that the organisation's work can now be viewed clearly on http://www.nfyfc.org.uk/ and that the website and IT projects continue to be developed by Kevyn Williams and the NFYFC staff team. Thank you to all at NFYFC, including the HOPS Labour Solutions team, who all work extremely hard on your behalf.
I also want to acknowledge the hard work and time provided to all sections of YFC by members' mums, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles and hundreds of others who give their time so freely to the YFC movement. This support is greatly appreciated and is a key component for the success of the organisation.
Finally, it has been a pleasure working alongside your National Chairman Dan Halliday and I look forward to working with the NFYFC officer team in the forthcoming year.
Wishing you all a fun-packed YFC year.
