Cllr Joan Nicholson, Chair of Durham County Council, presented the Chairman's Medal, the highest civic honour in County Durham, to recently retired Teesdale farmer, Richard Betton. For more than 25 years, Richard has devoted his time to the Teesdale farming community. He was first appointed as chair of the North Riding and Durham NFU County Branch in 1998 and is presently the longest serving member of the NFU Council.
In this time, Richard has represented local farmers, holding various positions on groups including the Hill Farming Advisory Committee, the North East Ministers Advisory Panel, and the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Until recently, he was also the northern regional director of the Farm Crisis Network, a charity supporting farming families in need, and has been a voice for raising the profile of mental health issues in farming and helping young people in the..
. Staff Reporter.
