FARMS for City Children, a charity based in Iddesleigh, is the latest local organisation to benefit from the Waitrose Community Matters.

Sonia Kelly from the Okehampton branch visited the charity's farm Nethercott House to present a cheque for £362.

The charity was founded in 1976 by author Michael Morpurgo and his wife, Clare. Each year, 3,000 children, many of them disadvantaged, aged between 8 and 11, stay at the charity's three farms in Iddesleigh, 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.

Sonia toured the house with farm school manager Catherine Knight to see the charity's work first-hand. While she was at Nethercott House, children from Flora Gardens Primary School in Hammersmith were carrying out tasks including mucking out the pony stables and making Cornish pasties.

Tracy Izod from Farms for City Children said: 'The Waitrose Community Matters donation will be used to support some of the 3,000 children booked to spend a whole week at Nethercott this year, and we are thrilled that local people have once again so generously chosen to support our work.'