Lauren Vance discusses her trip of a lifetime to Estonia

The week-long event was held from Sunday 28th July to Sunday 4th August 2024 and saw 89 participants from across 15 different counties come together.

In a short interview with YFCU marketing and communications executive Rachel Armstrong, Lauren spoke about how this trip was her second attempt at applying for the opportunity.

“I was over the moon to be selected for the trip, having been declined for my application to attend a previous Rally trip”, she explained.

“This was my first international trip with the YFCU and it was brilliant. I had only ever been on a two-week exchange trip in 2016 to England and Wales so this was a huge stepping point for me.”

The five members set up a group chat prior to the trip to stay connected and get to know each other better.

“This was a great way of sharing ideas and keeping in touch with what everyone was doing before we headed away,” Lauren explained.

“We held online meetings on Zoom and the staff at headquarters and the presidential team kept us all well informed about anything needing to be booked.

“We were advised to wear a traditional outfit during the opening and closing ceremony, however as Northern Ireland don’t have any traditional clothing, we opted for wearing navy as this seemed to be a tradition in what YFCU members choose every year for the rally.”

Lauren added: “The trip was a brilliant opportunity for me to engage with people from across Europe and share the same passion for their rural organisation as I do.

“The seminars allowed me to mix with people and gain an understanding of their different cultures.”

Lauren said that the highlight of her trip was the international buffet, where members got to try food and drink from the other represented countries.

She explained: “I particularly enjoyed this because everyone was so proud to share about their culture. Norway was very interesting because of its similarities with the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, and how we share a key focus on rural youth.”

Having spoken to members about their own Rally experiences, before heading away, Lauren said: “I can now agree with them in that it will open your eyes to what you can achieve. I will proudly stand as a travel ambassador now and strongly encourage members to apply for the opportunity and not give up.”