An organisation which promotes agricultural activities for young people is looking to bring itself up-to-date.

Young Farmers in the county and across the country are being invited to have their say on what the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs (NFYCs) should look like in five years time.

The organisation has launched a scheme, 'Vision: 2023- Your YFC Future' to bring the 86-year-old organisation up-to-date, and aims to provide a programme of activities that meet the needs of rural young people in the present day.

With a lot of history being made since the clubs launch in 1932, the NFYFC has made clear that although it wants to improve the how it is run and make it more relevant, it does not want to forget the past and the heritage of young farmers.

NFYFC president, Charlotte Smith, said: "The programme of events and activities at NFYFC has altered very little in the last 80 years, but society and rural young people's needs have changed dramatically.

"Now is the time to look to the future and Vision:2023 promises to be an exciting development for an organisation that plans to be around for the next 80 years and more."

The federation, which will make changes that will be felt at a regional level, with clubs such as Dorset Young Farmers Club set to be consulted at each stage, and members encouraged to share their views online.

One thing that has been identified for change is the NFYFC lack of communication.

Mike Miller, chairman of Dorset Young Farmers, who had not heard of Vision: 2023, said: "The day the decision for cancelling annual convention was released, the first people to release the news were the Farmers' Guardian on Facebook.

"As county chairman I did receive an official email from NFYFC but this was after it was released on social media.

"This has caused unrest with the other county chairman's in the south west area as we were not given any warning to this decision and had to deal with the backlash from our unhappy members without any information from NFYFC.

"This has been compounded by the fact that NFYFC has been hard to get any information from."

Over the next few weeks, there will be more research carried out and Young Farmers Club members will be invited to get involved too, with members able to complete the current survey until Wednesday, September 19.

As the school holidays have now come to an end, Young Farmers' Clubs in the county are starting to plan for the term ahead.

In West Dorset, there are clubs for Marshwood Vale, and for and Beaminster.

To find out more about about Vision: 2023, visit nfyfc.org.uk/vision2023

To find out more about your local young farmers club, visit dorsetyfc.org.uk

If you are a Young Farmer and want to fill out the survey, visit surveymonkey.co.uk/r/FVCD2Q5