In 1837 a group of agriculturalists led by the third Earl Spencer met in York to discuss the future of farming and so the Yorkshire Agricultural Society was born.

Originally, the organisation had 5 aims to improve and develop agriculture. The first aim was to run a major agricultural event. This led to the creation of the first Yorkshire Show in 1838.

Now, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society invests over half a million pounds each year supporting and promoting the agriculture industry through educational events, conferences, awarding small grants, and developing careers and skills in agriculture.

As well as supporting the development of the agriculture industry, the Society also provides a range of personal growth opportunities for its employees. Each team member receives a £500 budget to put towards a training course.

Furthermore, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society launched its new Performance Management Process in April which focuses on employee growth and development. Employees also have access to the Society’s e-learning programme which provides a range of different courses.

For managers, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society has recently introduced its Key People Process coaching sessions, which cover a variety of subjects aimed at developing the skills needed to support and nurture individuals and teams.

Managers are also able to participate in training courses psychological safety and menopause awareness, ensuring that managers have the skills to not only motivate their teams, but to also provide more personal and emotional support.