An evening at the excellent Barbury Castle Shooting School provided an ideal opportunity for the Hungerford team to let off steam by blasting clays out of the sky. The shooting was very impressive with more clays hit than missed, no mean feet as five of the team had never shot before. We finished with a team flush which was fast and furious, you will have to ask the team who won! We retired to the Shoot lodge for some well earned food and drink. Unlike the sailing this event was popular with every one...now they want to do it again.

To improve and maintain our operational standards we regularly undertake training courses. We recently invited nationally renowned indepenent trainer Stefan Powell to spend a day with the Hungerford team. We split into a morning and afternoon team to ensure minimal disruption.

Stefan likes to challenge perceptions and see if there are more effective and efficient ways to work. Despite a little initial anxiety at being put on the spot every one really enjoyed the day.

What did we think?

Julia "Up beat and motivating".
Andy "Very engaged, is vital to my developement".
Alistair "Very interactive and dynamic, not static".
Marianne "It got me thinking about how to apply the learning".
Karen "Excellent".
Nikki "Very different style of training".
Carly "Really good, confident and clear".

The team recently traded desks for oilies and spent a very active day sailing a 45 foot racing yacht around the Solent. In a blustery force 4 boat speed and deck activity was frantic. A stop in Cowes for a lunch of Chips and Champagne was well received by every body. Having done team clay shooting days in the past the sailing was a nice change. At the end of the day the crew were split down the middle half would love to go again the other half are happy to have ticked the box.

This year 12 members of the West Berkshire NFU branch visited farms in Croatia. Based in Zagreb and Osijek the group viewed some very substantial farming enterprises. The farms were all over 20,000acres and ran large successful enterprises such as a 500 cow dairy. They also saw many signs of the war even live minefields!

As a thank you for their commitment to the agency during a very busy 2010 the Hungerford Team were treated to a weekend in Gleneagles in March (2011).

The Saturday afternoon was filled with pre booked activities such as Falconry , Off Road driving ,and Spa beauty treatments. In the Evening we dined at the Main restaurant sampling some exquisite food and drink. Before flying home on Sunday there was time to visit Edinburgh. Unlike the sailing trip which had mixed reviews this trip was voted a unanimous success.

The Hungerford agency recently sponsored the North Wessex Downs events calendar for 2011. 

Pictured is Assistant Director Mr Oliver Cripps holding the fresh copy.

As a very important AONB within the national landscape the Hungerford Agency is delighted to lend its support.

The Hungerford branch has this year sponsored the Barbury International Horse Trials & Wiltshire County Show, which will be taking place from the 8th - 11th July 2010 near Marlborough.

Barbury Horse Trials is aiming to become an attraction for all the family by incorporating the Wiltshire County Show. The show will feature rural crafts, food exhibitions, cookery displays, heavy horses, rare breed animals, working sheep dogs and terrier racing.

The Hungerford branch recently hosted a Land Agents meeting with a twist. Rather than selling NFU Mutual they ran a generic training course in basic insurance principles.

This was the first such event hosted by NFU Mutual in the region and twelve Land Agents from five different firms, along with two resident Agents attended. The idea was promoted by Gary Pope, Senior Agent at Hungerford and the presentation was undertaken by Simon Painter, National Sales Manager.

After the event Gary commented, "We thought the idea would be well received and it was ".

This is likely to be the first of many so if you are interested in attending future meetings please get in contact.

Following the complete office refurbishment, agent Gary Pope welcomed amongst others West Berkshire's MP Richard Benyon and NFU President Peter Kendall as the new look offices were declared officially open.