THE charity Farms For City Children has received a pledge of £12,000 of support from the Freemasons.

The organisation has agreed to give the charity £4,000 a year for the next three years to help fund a week's stay for inner city children at a working farm.

They presented a cheque to the charity last week at Nethercott House near Iddesleigh with the promise of further support in 2012 and 2013.

Each year 116 children, many of them disadvantaged and aged between 8 and 11, stay at the charity's three farms in Iddesleigh, Pembrokeshire and Gloucestershire. The experience helps to build self-confidence and communication skills and teaches children about food production and British farming.

Farms for City Children was founded by children's writer Michael Morpurgo and his wife, Clare, in 1976 at Nethercott House. The Victorian manor house, with beautiful grounds is situated just outside the village, and the land surrounding Nethercott is farmed by brothers Graham and David Ward. The family have worked in partnership with the charity since Graham and David's father, John, helped the Morpurgos to set up the charity.

Graham has a herd of organic milking Friesians, while David farms sheep and a beef herd. Children at the farm also help to look after donkeys and a wide range of poultry. There is also a large walled kitchen garden where the children help grow vegetables they can eat with their meals.

Speaking about the donation, fundraiser Tracy Izod said: 'Throughout the year, the children work alongside real farmers for a whole week to help them fulfil their potential in the best way possible, which the Freemasons generously and fully support.'

W Bro Ian Kingsbury, assistant provincial grand master of Devonshire, Freemasons said:

'For over thirty years my wife Toni and I were involved with Farms for City Children at Nethercott as suppliers of their milk. It didn't take us very long to realise what a wonderful organisation Farms for City Children is.

'It is so pleasing that the foundation stone laid by Michael and Clare Morpurgo back in the 1970s had flourished and grown and is strong to this day.

'Providing opportunities to improve the lives of disadvantaged young people is at the heart of our youth opportunities funding programme.

'Farms for City Children works to help young people fulfil their potential in the best way possible, and Freemasons are delighted to be able to assist with this grant.'

To find out more about Farms for City Children, visit http://www.farmsforcitychildren.org">www.farmsforcitychildren.org