A WEST Country-based charity has just been given the first of a series of annual £10,000 donations from the CLA Charitable Trust.

The first cheque for £10,000 was handed over at Wick Court, Gloucestershire, last week, to support the work of Farms for City Children.

Farms for City Children was founded by children's writer Michael Morpurgo and his wife Clare, in 1976 at Nethercott House near Iddesleigh.

Each year 3,000 children, many of them disadvantaged and aged between 8 and 11, stay at the charity's three farms in Iddesleigh or ones in Pembrokeshire and Gloucestershire. For many, it is their first experience of the countryside and their first opportunity to get close to farm animals.

The experience helps to build self-confidence and communication skills and teaches children about food production and British farming.

The £10,000 a year donation agreement by the CLA Charitable Trust will be used to fund three separate one-week stays for a total of more than 100 children at one of the charity's three centres. The money will also be targeted at providing farm breaks for youngsters with disabilities.

The CLA Charitable Trust was founded in 1980 and helps to provide facilities for the disabled to take part in country sports and recreation and training in agriculture and horticulture. It also promotes education in the countryside for disadvantaged children and young people.

CLA Charitable Trust director Peter Geldart said: 'The work of Farms for City Children matches the objective of the CLA Charitable Trust to promote education about the countryside to children from inner city schools.

'Without such opportunities these kids might never experience contact with farm animals or begin to understand where their food comes from.'

Farms for City Children chief executive Helen Chaloner said: 'This fantastic support from the CLA Charitable Trust means so much to us. Our aim of giving city children an unforgettable experience staying on a working farm sits so well with the aims of the trust. We are excited at the prospect of working closely together over the next few years.'

Farm children's manager, Heather Tarplee said that getting youngsters involved in every activity on the farm was key to the experience.

'We make sure they are involved in every aspect of work on the farm, she said. 'They are not allowed games consoles and there are no televisions so they have to learn to engage with each other and with what's going on around them. But by the end of a full day, they're usually too tired for television.'

l For more information on Farms for City Children, visit http://www.farmsforcitychildren.org">www.farmsforcitychildren.org

l For more information on the CLA, visit http://www.cla.org.uk">www.cla.org.uk