A Knaresborough club for young farmers is to collect Christmas trees for charity again.

Knaresborough Young Farmers Club, which celebrates its 75th anniversary next year, will be collecting used trees on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 January.

This is the second year the collection is taking place after the response to the first left chairman Katy Addyman “gobsmacked”.

She said:

“We thought we might get 10 trees, we might get 15.

“Literally within a week we had 200, 250 trees. We had to close the booking form because we were just gobsmacked by the demand for it.”

The Christmas tree collection will take place in Harrogate, Pannal and Starbeck on Saturday 6 January.

Collections in Knaresborough and the surrounding villages of Farnham, Ferrensby, Follifoot, Goldsborough, Kirk Deighton, Lingerfield, Little Ribston, North Deighton, Scotton and Spofforth will take place the following day.

A minimum donation of £5 per tree is required to raise money for their chosen charities.

You can book a collection online.

Once collected, the trees will be put in a wood chipper to make bedding for cows.

The proceeds will go to MS Society and Harrogate charity Saint Michael’s Hospice.

Ms Addyman said:

“One of the biggest supporters of the club suffers with MS.

“We chose the MS Society as a way of giving back to him.”

Knaresborough Young Farmers Club has noticed a rise in young people taking an interest in agriculture. A few years ago, the club had “two or three” junior members, or, members aged between 10 and 16. Today, there are 30.

Ms Addyman credits the documentary series Clarkson’s Farm with the increase in members.

Her own history with the club is less recent: her father was also chairman.

She said:

“When I told my dad I was joining young farmers, he was like ‘Oh my God, you don’t know what you’re letting yourself in for!'”

Knaresborough Young Farmers Club accepts members between the ages of 10 and 28. Anyone interested in joining can email yfcknaresborough@gmail.com.

Boroughbridge collection

Boroughbridge Young Farmers Club is offering a similar service on January 7. It will be collecting trees from the town and nearby villages.

Booking isn’t required — people are asked to leave th e tree outside their home or on the street and pay £5 cash when it is collected. The service raises money for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Further details are here.

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A charity project organised by young farmers in Knaresborough has proved so popular, it has been expanded before it has even started.

Knaresborough Young Farmers Club planned to visit villages around the area next Saturday, January 7, to pick up trees in exchange for a £5 donation to mental health charity Mind.

Demand for the collection has already been so high that the collection has been extended to include Knaresborough and Harrogate by arrangement.

A tractor and trailer will be taken through each village, with club members on foot. They will call at each house where a tree has been left out to organise the donation to the Just Giving page or by bank transfer.

Households also have the option of taking their tree to Manse Lane in Knaresborough between 9am and 3.30pm for a £3 donation.

Club chairman Katy Addyman said:

“Our club is well known for our annual tractor run, but since that was set up we’ve had an increase in junior members aged 10 to 16 and they now create the vast majority of the club.

“We wanted to arrange something where all of our members can get involved in some way and help raise money for a great cause.

“This wouldn’t be possible without Andway Healthcare, who are allowing us to use their car park on Manse lane, and Travis Perkins for providing us with a chipper, and our very generous club leaders who have put the time and effort in behind the scenes.”

The villages on the collection route are: Brearton, Coneythorpe, Farnham, Ferrensby, Flaxby, Follifoot, Goldsborough, Kirkby Overblow, Kirk Deighton, Lingerfield, Little Ribston, Nidd, North Deighton, Ripley, Scotton, and Spofforth.

Anyone in Knaresborough or Harrogate who wants to arrange a collection can complete the online formor call Katy on 07443 650033.

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Tractor run inspires children’s learning in Pateley Bridge

Children were so excited by seeing hundreds of tractors parading through their town a week ago that they have been using the experience to learn.

Many youngsters from Sunflowers Day Nursery in Pateley Bridge watched Knaresborough Young Farmers Club’s tractor run on March 13. Some even rode alongside adults in tractors.

The event, which attracted a record 383 tractors, started at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate, stopped in Pateley Bridge for lunch and ended in Knaresborough.

Children were overwhelmed by the site of so many tractors.

It made such a big impression on young minds that the nursery adopted tractor-themed learning last week.

Nursery manager Heather Clark Kelly said:

“Many of our little Sunflowers were totally overwhelmed by the amount of tractors they saw and their experiences have totally impacted on our learning this week.

“We have been talking about tractors, counting tractors, classifying tractors be colour, lining up tractors, sharing pictures of our own tractors and finally concentrating on our different skills to colour and cut out tractors to make a huge picture.

“Everything which happens in the children’s lives presents a learning opportunity, and this was no exception.”

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Almost 400 tractors took part in Knaresborough Young Farmers Club‘s annual tractor run yesterday.

A large crowd gathered for the start of the event, which returned after a covid interruption last year, at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate.

The tractors left at 9am and drove around Nidderdale, stopped for lunch in Pateley Bridge at noon then finished in Knaresborough by late afternoon.

The event combines fun and fundraising, by raising money through entry fees and donations for Yorkshire Air Ambulance — a cause close to the heart of many farmers working in isolated areas.

The previous event in 2020 attracted about 360 vehicles and raised over £20,000.

Passing Mother Shipton’s Inn in Knaresborough. Pic: Charlotte Gale

Showing support for Ukraine.

This event exceeded that, with 383 tractors taking part and raising £21,000.

It started as a private club event in 2012 but was opened up in 2018 to allow anyone to take part and has grown in scale since.

People lined the streets in towns and villages to cheer on the farmers, some of whom had decked their tractors out especially for the occasion.

Passing through Birstwith. Pic: Ann Lilley

Some had adopted yellow and blue to show support for people in Ukraine.

Donations to the air ambulance can be made here.

Leaving the showground.

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About 350 tractors are expected to take to the Harrogate district streets tomorrow when Knaresborough Young Farmers Club’s tractor run returns.

The event, which was cancelled last year, raises funds for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Tractors will converge at the Great Yorkshire Showground for a 9am start and then pass through Knaresborough and Birstwith before stopping for lunch at Pateley Bridge at about noon.

The route passes through Pateley Bridge

They will then continue along country roads to Markington before finishing in Knaresborough at about 3.30pm.

The tractor run started as a private club event in 2012 but was opened to the public in 2018.

This year’s route.

Club member Mike Spink was a great supporter of the air ambulance before his death and the organisation continues to fundraise for it.

Steven Brown, chairman of the tractor run, said:

“Air ambulance is a cause close to the heart of farmers and anyone in rural communities.

“We work in solitary areas and they are always there when we need them.”

About 360 vehicles participated in the last tractor run, which was completed a week before lockdown in 2020. It is one of the largest tractor runs in England.

Anyone can turn up at the showground with a tractor and take part.

Although the event causes some traffic disruption, the route includes many minor and private roads to minimise disruption.

You can support the event by pledging a donation to the air ambulance here.