Chairmans Report
And just like that my year as Chairman as come to and end. And what a year it has been!!
We started the year off in early August when we held the first Oswestry Show after dance since the pandemic at Oswestry Showground, it was a fantastic night with nearly 400 people through the door which helped us raise significant funds for the club for the upcoming year.
Once we officially took over as top table in September we started the year off with a few social meetings, bowling and the driving range to name a few. We then had our new members evening at the beginning of October. The night was a great success with about 50 people in attendance and nearly all of them signing up to be a member.
In November we held our annual Charity bonfire night at Pennant Farm by the kind permission of the Roberts family. The night was a great success with so many members, past and present and friends and family of the club coming together and raising £400 for our chosen charities in the process.
Later in November we held our Annual Bash at Oswestry Showground. With just under 500 people attending, it made all the hard work and preparation worth it. A big thank you must go to The Oswestry Show committee for their continued support and use of the pavilion.
December soon came along and we were straight into the Christmas festivities, a busy time in the YFC calendar, with the Christmas parade around Oswestry first up. Many members braved the cold and jumped onboard the float for a great morning going around the town promoting YFC to the general public.
Later in the month we carried on the festive activities by helping out The Oswestry Cambrian Rotary Club by taking Santa around Morda and then we had our Annual Christmas meal. A big thank you to The White Lion for providing us with some great food. We also did one night of Carol singing, raising £440 for charity. A big thank you to the Lawrence’s, Kempster’s, Evan’s and Jackson’s for hosting us. Finishing off the Christmas celebrations we held our much anticipated Annual Club Beer Pong Championships at our Christmas party, with Evan Ellis and Dan Gittins coming out on top.
We ended the calendar year by having a club clay shoot social kindly hosted by the Jackson family and carried on the celebrations into the early hours of the new year.
We started 2023 off with our Dinner Dance where we celebrated the Clubs achievements from the previous year.
By this time we had already started rehearsals for our Entertainments. We took our production of ‘The only way is Farming’ to the stage in Whitchurch, where unfortunately, even with everyone’s best efforts and dedication throughout the past 6 weeks we didn’t get the result we were hoping for, but
this gave the club more fire to be more successful in the upcoming competitions. We did come away with the award for the most original production, however I think the biggest achievement of the week went to Libby Morris for not getting lost around Whitchurch again this year when trying to find the bus following the After Dance. A special thank you must go to Adam Thomas for giving up his free time and helping us with our production.
March came along and the competitions didn’t stop there, we entered a Women’s team in the rounders competition and a Men’s team in the rush hockey where we came away with 4th place. We then had some members enter the highly competitive Clay Shooting competition at West Midlands shooting ground. A big well done to everyone who entered but especially to Jess Foulkes for winning the Best Female award and also second place in the under 18 category.
We then moved on to the Rally Field Day, where we headed to the Shropshire Show ground in full force. We had members entered into the cookery and welding competitions, but with new Shirts our main focus was on the TOW competition. A big shoutout must go to Archie for being the only junior to enter and go into a composite team with 4 members from other clubs. Unfortunately they were a bit overpowered but still gave it a good go. Also a big well done to the Women’s team who had a tough draw and unfortunately didn’t mange to place but still gave 110% and did themselves very proud. Our men’s team, with 1 man less than the rest came away with an amazing 3rd place. A big thank you must go to Dave Ward for coming along to our practices and giving us some coaching tips. They defiantly paid off!!
The end of April and most of May mainly consisted of building our Formula 1 themed float for the Shropshire show. Many hours spent in the shed by all our members certainly paid off as we took 2nd place overall but also we won the West Midlands Agricultural Society Presidents cup. Our F1 car on the front of the tractor also won the best front board competition. We also had a successful day in the YFC marquee with a lot of our entries being placed and also Joe Jackson and Ed Sands placing second place in the Jelly bike race in the main ring.
June came along and that means only one thing, Rally. We all headed down to the Rally site with car boots full of entries and unknown expectations. The day started off with Stock Judging, we entered two members into nearly every competition, and everyone did amazingly with a lot of people getting placed even without a practice, as a result of this we managed to take away the Stock Judging cup for the first time in the clubs history. The day continued with all the active competitions. With WOZ placing in most of them and the success in the home section we also took away the Junior Cup and the West of Shrewsbury cup and placing 3rd overall.
All focus was then back to Oswestry Show when we held our annual stock judging evening at Pennant Farm by kind permission of the Roberts family. We also had our marquee on show day which was themed ‘A day at the beach’. Although the weather on the day didn’t quite match our theme it didn’t stop a massive amount of entries coming in.
We finished off the year with a big club outing to the Chairmans ball. A great night had by all to celebrate the end of the year.
Over the year we have been fortunate enough to have some great farm tours. Wynstay and Lloyds feed mills, TGs, Suckleys, Herd Milk and Gilman’s to name a few. A big thank you to everyone for hosting us and giving up their free time to take us around their businesses. Also thank you to all the local businesses who have kindly sponsored us over the year, whether it be for the TOW shirts or the Oswestry show marquee, all their generosity is great appreciated.
I’d also like to thank all the other clubs from across the county for asking us to socials with them, it’s always great to meet up with other clubs and meet new people.
I cannot finish this report without mentioning one person. Will Roberts, or Choc as he was known to many. Will sadly passed away in Mid December after his battle with Cancer, after completing 3 years as Chairman, the longest ever in the clubs history. Wills passing has left a huge hole in people’s hearts and also a huge hole in the club. I can’t commend every single member enough by the way they have all pulled together over the past 9 months and supported each other and the club. And for that you should all be very proud of yourselves, because I know I am and I know Will would be too.
I just want to finish off by thanking all the members, advisory and our President Dave Roberts and his better half Sue for all your support over the past year. It is greatly appreciated and I hope it continues long into the future. And of course to my top table, Joe, Owen and Jess for all your hard work. It wouldn’t have been such a successful year without you and all your dedication to the club.
I wish next years top table all the best and hope you have as much fun as I have done.
James Kempster Chairman 22/23
•11 4G , 15 11 ks Whlttlwton and Omstry YOU Farn1$ For the Yr Endlry 31 July 2023 Y•ar 2023 Year 2022 INCOME Charlty Donatk>ns Dances Soclals Merchandlse Intefest Recelved 1.986.27 29.349.82 5,858.(X) .19).() 66.93 1,161.30 13.578.20 4,125.CtyJ 1,720.LM) Total Incom• 34351.02 20,586.90 EXPENDITURE Membershlp Charlty Donations Dae$ Socts MercharKllse Competltions -270.C -2,214.95 .17,066. ,666.1X) -3,048.16 -5.447.48 0.00 o.Lx) -13,559.69 4,390.IXI .2,623.64 -1,025.84 424.16 -293.07 Other .1,744.99 Total Expendltvrn -36.524.88 -22.316.40 Not Incorn•/(Expendltur•) fof Year lJ26.14 -1,729.50 Net Income/(Expendlture) for Year Reserves 8rou8ht Forward I26.14 46,776.83 -1.729.SO 48,506.33 48,602.97 46.776.83 Balanc• at Bank as at 31st July 2023 Current Account Savln8s Account 32,59).50 16,012.47 30,831.29 15.945.54 Total 48,602.97 46,776.83 Sl8ned . Date Ms J Kelly Treasurer I have examlned the accounts of WhIngton and Oswestry Youn8 Fame Cb for the Year Endln8 31 Juty 2023. 1 conflrm that no rnaterial matters have come to my attention in connectlon wlth the examinatlon , Sl8ned _ S*ned Date John R J Howard Indep•Ient Examiner Oate Chalr Reply (-> Forward
•11 4G , 15 11 ks Whlttlwton and Omstry YOU Farn1$ For the Yr Endlry 31 July 2023 Y•ar 2023 Year 2022 INCOME Charlty Donatk>ns Dances Soclals Merchandlse Intefest Recelved 1.986.27 29.349.82 5,858.(X) .19).() 66.93 1,161.30 13.578.20 4,125.CtyJ 1,720.LM) Total Incom• 34351.02 20,586.90 EXPENDITURE Membershlp Charlty Donations Dae$ Socts MercharKllse Competltions -270.C -2,214.95 .17,066. ,666.1X) -3,048.16 -5.447.48 0.00 o.Lx) -13,559.69 4,390.IXI .2,623.64 -1,025.84 424.16 -293.07 Other .1,744.99 Total Expendltvrn -36.524.88 -22.316.40 Not Incorn•/(Expendltur•) fof Year lJ26.14 -1,729.50 Net Income/(Expendlture) for Year Reserves 8rou8ht Forward I26.14 46,776.83 -1.729.SO 48,506.33 48,602.97 46.776.83 Balanc• at Bank as at 31st July 2023 Current Account Savln8s Account 32,59).50 16,012.47 30,831.29 15.945.54 Total 48,602.97 46,776.83 Sl8ned . Date Ms J Kelly Treasurer I have examlned the accounts of WhIngton and Oswestry Youn8 Fame Cb for the Year Endln8 31 Juty 2023. 1 conflrm that no rnaterial matters have come to my attention in connectlon wlth the examinatlon , Sl8ned _ S*ned Date John R J Howard Indep•Ient Examiner Oate Chalr Reply (-> Forward