PHOTOGRAPH: Jim Wileman
On Wednesday 23rd September, Her Royal Highness Princess Anne visited Farms for City Children in Iddesleigh, Devon, marking the charity’s 50th anniversary.
Founded in 1976, Farms for City Children was established to give young people, particularly those from urban communities, the opportunity to spend time living and working on real farms in the countryside. Today, the charity operates three farms in Devon, Gloucestershire and Pembrokeshire, offering residential visits for schools, colleges and community groups.
The charity was founded by Clare Morpurgo and Sir Michael Morpurgo, one of Britain’s best-known children’s authors and commonly known for his books War Horse, Private Peaceful and The Butterfly Lion. Before becoming a full-time author, Morpurgo worked as a teacher, an experience that helped shape his belief that children learn best through direct experience and discovery. Together with his wife Clare, he founded Farms for City Children at Nethercott House in Devon, creating opportunities for young people to experience the countryside and gain confidence through meaningful work on the land.
The Princess Royal, who has served as Patron of the charity since 1991, met staff, volunteers, teachers and children during a tour of the working farm. During the visit, children from a London school demonstrated some of the practical activities that form part of their stay, including caring for horses and donkeys, working in the heritage walled garden and helping maintain the farm’s agroforestry project.