FARMER FOCUS: Lives turned upside down by tragedy
On 15 February the Challen family’s lives were changed forever. Our beautiful daughter Emily (our eldest) was killed as a passenger in a very tragic car accident just four days before her 18th birthday. It’s fair to say we are in absolute disbelief and find our loss almost impossible to comprehend.
It seems so tragic she should lose her life just as she was flourishing. She had just decided to accept an offer from Leeds University to study fashion marketing from September and was just completing her A-level finals where it was hoped she would be a straight “A” student.
Like most of us involved with farming, I’ve been guilty of working that extra hour here and there just to get jobs done. And while I have no regrets, I would urge all of you to consider how much time you spend with your loved ones. I always intended to work less and spend more time with my family; it’s a shame it’s taken such a tragedy to make me realise talk is cheap.
Did you know that some countries have graduated driving licensing systems which require a 12-month learning period and a two-year novice period before you can drive independently and that prevent the carrying of passengers under 25 years old during that period? Why is this relevant? Well, not only would this system of learning to drive have saved Emily, but it would also save 200 teenagers’ lives every single year in the UK not to mention 14,000 injuries. I believe this is simply staggering.
I make no apologies for my final paragraph; it’s a blatant plug for a hard working underfunded charity that’s trying to lobby parliament to make changes to not only to the current method of learning to drive, but to educate teenagers in the dangers of driving. If you get chance please visit www.brake.org.uk/take-action/too-young-to-die and if you feel able make a small donation, it could save lives.
Keith Challen manages 800ha of heavy clay soils in the Vale of Belvoir, Leicestershire, for Belvoir Fruit Farms. Cropping includes wheat, oilseed rape and elderflowers. The farm is also home to the Belvoir Fruit Farms drinks business
