In light of current government advice regarding the Covid-19 outbreak the Society has taken the decision to cancel the YDP Five Nations Weekend which was due to take place in Wales at the end of May.
Society chief executive John Yates said that it wouldn’t be sensible to proceed with the Five Nations Weekend at this time, bearing in mind advice from the government regarding public gatherings and unnecessary travel.
“This will, undoubtedly, come as a huge disappointment for many young members who were looking forward to what promised to be a great weekend.
“However, there really is no other option at this time and it is better for all concerned to cancel the event now than go forward and continue taking bookings only to cancel at a later date.”
As many members will already be aware the Royal Highland Show and Royal Three Counties Show have both been cancelled, while Northern Ireland’s Balmoral Show has been postponed until 19-22 August. Major shows in the south west of England have also postponed until later in the summer, including the Royal Bath and West, Devon County and Royal Cornwall.
In addition, a number of smaller shows across the UK, including Ayr, Neilston, Kilmalcolm and Beith, all in Scotland, Great Harwood and South Suffolk have also announced cancellations or alterations to their plans.
The Society advises all members to keep up to date with announcements from major event organisers via event websites and social media, including via this link. The Society will also endeavour to update this information as it becomes aware of any changes.
Furthermore, the Society advises that its own committee and board meetings will largely use telephone conferencing and internet meeting software such as Microsoft Teams where appropriate. The Society advises all regional Clubs to bear in mind current government advice regarding public gatherings and travel when planning Club activities or meetings in the coming weeks and months.
“Cancellations and postponements may be frustrating, but in light of current advice it would be unwise to go ahead with Club activities at this time,” said Mr Yates.
He also advised those members living and/or farming alone to put in place contingency plans should they become ill. “The situation is an evolving one and clearly the virus affects everyone differently. But, those members who farm on their own would be well advised to ensure they have a plan in place to ensure stock are cared for should they be unable to manage it themselves,” he added.
The Society continues to invest in new technology and encourages all members to appreciate the pressure placed on the Society office in regard to the current government advice.
“While all staff are affected in different ways, I would encourage the members to use the new iTexel database to provide birth notifications and limit calls to the office to the bare minimum during these challenging times,” added Mr Yates.
