BATA Helps Secure The Future Of Historic Malton Show

The immediate future of the historic Malton Show has been secured after an Amotherby-based farmer cooperative pledged £30,000 over three years to become its headline sponsor.

The immediate future of the historic Malton Show has been secured after the Amotherby-based farmer cooperative, BATA, answered a call for support.

The Malton Show has been an annual fixture in the local agricultural calendar since the early eighteen-seventies, but its committee recently had to make the difficult decision to cancel the 2026 event.

Traditionally held on the last weekend in June, the popular show features livestock, vintage machinery, and sheep dog trials, and is run entirely by volunteers.

However, the show has faced increasing challenges in recent years due to volunteers retiring, growing legislation and compliance matters, and increasing operational costs to stage the event.

Now, BATA has stepped in with a commitment of £10,000 per year for the next three years, promising to breathe new life into the historic event as its headline sponsor.

Alongside the financial backing, BATA will also provide logistical and marketing support for the show's committee.

Charlie Breese, a trustee of the Malton Show charity, said:

"The support BATA are offering to Malton Show comes at a critical time, is invaluable and will help us to overcome a number of challenges faced by the show. Securing this vital sponsorship enables us to recruit a replacement for our retiring secretary, as well as take a new look approach to how the show runs and how it is managed in the future."

The show is run by the trustees of a charitable organisation and is supported by a number of volunteers who help to bring the event together.

Historically, funding has been provided by several regular sponsors, entry fees, and ticket revenue from visitors.

Stephen Greenfield, Chairman of BATA, said:

"As an organisation rooted in the local agricultural community, we are pleased to commit to on-going sponsorship over the next 3 years and to be able to provide support for the committee and volunteers that make the Malton Show so special. We look forward to working with the Malton Show team, old and new and to helping to ensure this much loved event is once again a major feature of the local community summer calendar."

BATA, which stands for Brandsby Agricultural Trading Association Limited, was established in 1894 as a farmer’s cooperative and proudly retains this structure today.

Headquartered in Amotherby near Malton, the organisation has a strong presence across North and East Yorkshire, supplying local farmers and those who live in the rural community.

The cooperative currently has more than three thousand share members with a share ownership of more than £6 million.

Profits from its business activities are distributed to members as interest, used to fund future investment, and distributed to community and charitable causes in the areas where it operates.

The cooperative's key areas of business include a wide range of agricultural products for modern farm businesses, all species animal feeds, and fuel and LPG supplies to agricultural, domestic, and industrial customers.

BATA also operates two petrol stations with convenience stores in Helmsley and Gate Helmsley, alongside ten BATA Country Stores based across North and East Yorkshire, providing clothing, workwear, pet food, and equestrian supplies.

The Malton Agricultural Society was originally formed in 1833, with the first recorded summer exhibition taking place in the early eighteen-seventies.

In 1998, due to a lack of space at the original Show Field Lane site in Malton, the show relocated to Scampston Park.

To maintain its long-established link with the townspeople, a half-hourly free bus service is run from Malton to the showground on the day of the event.

The show committee is currently looking for new members, and anyone keen to get involved is asked to contact the organisers via their official email address.