Rachel with the Capesthorne Millennium Cup with Jean and Diane
Cheshire Agricultural Society – Capesthorne Millennium Cup
I am pleased to announce that today Rachel Hughes, Board of Trustee member, was awarded the Capesthorne Millennium Cup. The cup is awarded for exceptional endeavour in promoting the interest of Agriculture or Countryside related activities in Cheshire.
Rachel was really deserving of the cup when you read her CV which reads as follows:
- Chairman of Beeston Young Farmers 1971- 1972
- Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s award achieved in 1972
- Cheshire Dairy Queen 1973
- Great British Food Campaign 1990-92. Rachel appeared on Pebblemill promoting British Food and Recipes.
- Masterchef, 1990 – competed in the first ever televised series representing the North West Region.
- Teaching the Young Farmers to cook 1992-94
- Chairman of Acton School PTA during its centenary
- Assistant Secretary of the Cheshire Agricultural Society, helping to instal the new computer system.
- Secretary of the Mid West Holstein Club and Cheshire Herds Competition
- National Trainer from the NFWI 2009-2016
With regard to the Cheshire Federation Rachel followed the tradition of being a WI member from her Grandmother and Mother and joined Barrow WI when she was 14 years of age. Rachel was a treasurer of Haughton WI and helped form a new WI in Haslington where she served as secretary for 6 years. Currently Rachel is President of Haslington WI.
Rachel trained as a WI VCO (now known as a WI adviser) and worked in the Federation during the 1980’s and early 1990’s and formed the first WI in Nantwich.
She trained as a judge and became a National WI judge and demonstrator in cookery and sugarcraft.
Rachel works in the partnership of her dairy farming business which she helps to run with her husband, daughter and son.
Haslington WI entered the Great British Food campaign staging a weekend of activities to allow the local community to meet farmers. They were awarded the Trophy by the Telegraph newspapers and were invited to London to meet Hon. Owen Paterson, Minister of Agriculture to receive the award.
Currently Rachel edits the Federation website and organises and delivers training in IT to the members to help them to get online. This has enabled every one of our WIs in the Federation to have either a webpage or be on Facebook and Twitter.
Yu can now understand why Rachel is such a deserving winner. Congratulations Rachel. The Federation is extremely proud of you.
Jean Harding
Federation Chairman