Young British farmers find novel ways to attend annual convention in Torquay

Young Farmers' Clubs from across the country will be travelling to their annual convention in Torquay this week using a range of novel modes of transport, from quad bikes to amphibious vehicles.

More than 4,000 young people representing Young Farmers' Clubs (YFCs) from almost every county will be travelling by land and water to get to the rural youth organisation's convention weekend, raising cash for a host of charities in the process.

This week, the young farmers are busy making their final preparations to travel to the convention, which will be held at the Riviera International Centre, Torquay, from April 23-25.

In Worcestershire YFC members will be arriving on quad bikes as part of Tom's Top to Bottom Challenge. They will ride 1,000 miles, from John O'Groats to Land's End and then on to Torquay, to raise cash for Acorns Children's Hospice, in Worcester, and Diabetes UK.

The group will begin their journey on Saturday and are hoping to arrive in Torquay by lunchtime on April 23.

YFC members from Kent and Lancashire will be embarking on 300-mile rides from their home counties to Torquay to raise money for the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (Rabi).

In Yorkshire, a team of 14 YFC members have chosen to travel by water instead and have built their own amphibious vehicle to make their way to the event.

They will be setting off from Huddersfield tomorrow and hope to keep afloat on their homemade contraption for the whole 340-mile trip. YFC members Thomas Ogden and Richard Lawson have used only recycled materials to create the contraption.

Despite the vehicle being made out of rubbish Thomas said they were quietly confident that they would make the mammoth trip to Torquay successfully.