Director of farm machinery firm driving unusual charity scheme

IT'S not every day you see a hot-pink tractor rolling through the Devon countryside.

- by LEWIS CLARKE

But for Andrew Venton, director and business development manager at Crediton-based agricultural and construction machinery supplier Conagri, that's exactly the point.

Standing out, sparking conversation and supporting life-saving causes - this is the heart of the Pink Tractor Campaign.

In a world of green and grey farm machinery, Andrew's vivid magenta marvels are attracting more than just curious glances.

They're pulling in crowds, raising thousands and uniting communities around a common cause: fighting cancer.

Through raffling off these uniquely-coloured tractors, Conagri is turning heads and touching hearts, all in the name of Prostate Cancer UK and the Pink Ribbon Foundation.

Andrew first encountered the idea during a visit to the EIMA machinery exhibition in Italy.

Among the rainbow of farm equipment on display, one machine stood out.

"Captain Tractors had a pink machine there," Andrew said.

"Out of all the colours they had, and there were a lot, it very obviously commandeered the most attention."

That spark of inspiration turned into something tangible back home.

With a compact 263 HST model from Captain Tractors ordered in factory pink, the foundation of the campaign was laid.

But this wasn't about flashy paintwork - it was about purpose.

"We knew we could do something with that in the UK," Andrew said.

And, indeed, they have.

Choosing which charities to support wasn't random.

The Pink Ribbon Foundation, which is celebrating its 25th year, resonated for its broad support across cancer types and its community-driven ethos.