FUW LAUNCHES REVAMPED WEBSITE WITH MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

The Farmers' Union of Wales reveals its revamped website this weekend when a recruitment drive for new members will be launched at the Royal Welsh Smallholder and Garden Festival (Saturday and Sunday May 16-17) at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells.

The new website - www.fuw.org.uk - features a special membership section with, for the first time, a full list of fees from as low as £10 for young members and £40 for associate members to £80 for farms of up to 25 acres and £350 for farms with an acreage of 750 or more.

Full and young members (sons and daughters working full time on the farm) are entitled to receive all literature and information issued by the FUW and shall be entitled to attend and vote at all local branch, county and general meetings of the union.

Members, and non-members, can also access all areas of the new website which includes the latest FUW press releases, consultation documents, policy statements and details of the union's Buy The Welsh One and Fairtrade Partnership campaigns.

There is also a special section for FUW Insurance Services - now supported by a panel of specialist agriculture and commercial insurance companies - and county-by-county details of how to contact the union's field force of 30 Area Officers (agents) and two Regional Managers.

Working closely with members, and non-members, they can quote competitive rates for all rural based businesses from farming and equine to contractors, builders, retail outlets, hotels and pubs, SMEs, leisure, let and vacant properties, forestry, commercial vehicles, taxi and motor hire and all diversified activity.

The new website also includes an events calendar and a link to the website of the union's monthly newspaper Y Tir/Welsh Farmer which is now also published in an online version for non-members to read at www.welshfarmer.com

Contact details of the FUW's 11 county offices and eight insurance services offices are also given.