Contact Us
Regional Office address:
Agriculture House
207 Tadcaster Road
York YO24 1UD
Find more information on individual team members below:
Adam Bedford
Regional Director - North East
Joining the North East team in 2016, he works very closely with the region’s team of elected farmer officeholders and has overall responsibility for the regional recruitment and retention of members.
Originally from Huddersfield, and after studying at Askham Bryan College and Newcastle University, he started his career in the NFU as a graduate trainee in 2007. Since then he has worked across three different regions before joining the Brussels Agriculture Bureau for a four-year stint working on European issues.
Adam lives rurally between York and Pocklington with his wife and three boys.
Robert Lea
Business Development Manager
Before taking on this role he worked as both a county adviser in the North East as well as a group secretary in Shropshire.
Rob works closely with county advisers and the local network of 86 group escretaries based in 49 offices across the North to achieve membership development and also provides strategic direction and support to the regional sales teams.
Rob lives in North Yorkshire with his wife and two sons.
The county adviser team
The regional team of five County Advisers are responsible for supporting NFU members and managing NFU activity within their designated county. This includes managing the NFU’s lobbying activities with MPs, MEPs and a range of external organisations from local authorities, the police and government agencies to non-governmental organisations and relevant commercial bodies.
They also actively support NFU Group Secretaries and work closely with elected farmer representatives including county officeholders and members of regional and national commodity boards. Each county adviser also takes regional responsibility for specific farming sectors and commodity boards.
Jane Dungait
County Adviser - Northumberland & North Durham
In her county adviser role, she works alongside Anna Simpson supporting NFU members and managing activity across the county. This includes managing the NFU’s lobbying activities with MPs and a range of external organisations from local authorities, the police and government agencies to non-governmental organisations and relevant commercial bodies.
She also actively supports NFU group secretaries to drive NFU membership and works closely with elected farmer representatives including county officeholders and members of regional and national commodity boards.
Jane is also the regional lead for tenants.
Before joining the NFU, she graduated from Harper Adams University College and now lives in Northumberland with her husband and their two young sons.
Jane works on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday
Anna Simpson
County Adviser - Northumberland & North Durham
In her county adviser role, she works alongside Jane Dungait supporting NFU members and managing activity across the county. This includes managing the NFU’s lobbying activities with MPs and a range of external organisations from local authorities, the police and government agencies to non-governmental organisations and relevant commercial bodies.
She also actively supports NFU group secretaries to drive NFU membership and works closely with elected farmer representatives including county officeholders and members of regional and national commodity boards.
Anna is also the regional lead for poultry.
Before joining the NFU, she graduated from Leeds University where she worked on the pig research unit, and joined the ABP graduate scheme. From there she joined AHDB Pork and completed a six-month secondment with Defra where she was involved in the climate change adaption team.
Anna works on Monday, Tuesday & Friday
Laurie Norris
County Adviser - North Riding & Durham
In her county adviser role, based at Concept Business Park in Thirsk, she supports NFU members and manages activity across the county. This includes managing the NFU’s lobbying activities with MPs and a range of external organisations from local authorities, the police and government agencies to non-governmental organisations and relevant commercial bodies.
She also actively supports NFU group secretaries to drive NFU membership and works closely with elected farmer representatives including county officeholders and members of regional and national commodity boards.
Laurie is also the regional lead for combinable crops and hill farming.
She lives near Thirsk with her husband and son.
Jennifer Costello
County Adviser - Yorkshire West
In her county adviser role, she supports NFU members and manages activity across the county. This includes managing the NFU’s lobbying activities with MPs and a range of external organisations from local authorities, the police and government agencies to non-governmental organisations and relevant commercial bodies.
She also actively supports NFU group secretaries to drive NFU membership and works closely with elected farmer representatives including county officeholders and members of regional and national commodity boards.
Jennifer is also the regional lead for dairy and sugar beet.
She currently lives in North Yorkshire and in her spare time enjoys walking her dog and riding her horse.
Poppy Arnett
County Adviser - York East
In her county adviser role, she supports NFU members and manages activity across the county. This includes managing the NFU’s lobbying activities with MPs and a range of external organisations from local authorities, the police and government agencies to non-governmental organisations and relevant commercial bodies.
She also actively supports NFU group secretaries to drive NFU membership and works closely with elected farmer representatives including county officeholders and members of regional and national commodity boards.
She is also the regional lead on livestock and horticulture.
Before joining the NFU, she graduated from Harper Adams in 2008 and held various positions with agricultural businesses including Shearwell Data, Cogent Breeding and Mole Valley Farmers.
Outside of work, Poppy supports her partner with his agricultural mechanic business and together they have a son and two labradors.
Environment team
The Environment team deals with many of the more technical issues farmers face. Their wide-ranging role covers everything from planning policy, rights of way and infrastructure to flooding, waste, access and renewables. James is also the local expert on agri-environment schemes and the team also leads the regional drive to achieve net zero.
James Copeland
Senior Environment and Land Use Adviser
Growing up on an East Yorkshire arable farm, he joined the NFU after eight years working for Defra’s science agency on both national and European projects.
Charged with developing a strategic overview of environmental and land use policies in the region, he works to ensure policy is sustainable for everyone and rooted in the real-world. He is passionate that agri-businesses are given the opportunity to develop and adapt, and that their operating environment allows this to happen.
James is Vice Chair and independent member of the Northumbrian Water Customer Challenge Group. He is also an independent member of the Northumbria Regional Flood and Coastal Committee and Yorkshire Water Customer Challenge Group.
He lives in York with his wife and daughter.
Anna Wright
Assistant Environment and Land Use Adviser
She joined the North East team after a year on the NFU’s Agricultural Policy Graduate Scheme, having graduated from the University of Oxford where she studied geography.
During her time on the graduate scheme, she worked in the climate change team and then in the food and farming department covering dairy, animal health and welfare, and horticulture and potato issues.
Anna has recently moved back to North Yorkshire where she grew up, and in her free time plays squash for her local team.
Regional communications
Administrative team
The region’s administrative team is often the first point of contact for members ringing the regional office. They keep the office running smoothly, are responsible for taking bookings for the busy calendar of meetings and for helping orchestrate major set piece events such as the regional presence at the Great Yorkshire Show.
Hannah Drew
Regional Coordinator
Hannah joined the North East team in 2010, having previously worked in hotel and hospitality management roles.
She lives in York with her husband.
Michelle Cooper
Administrative Assistant
Michelle joined the North East team in 2019, before which she worked for a GP's surgery, Aviva and the NFU Mutual.
She lives in York with her partner.