C&TH Charity Partnership 2025: Farms For City Children

Country & Town House is delighted to be supporting Farms for City Children, founded by Clare and Michael Morpurgo, as its charity partner for 2025.

C&TH Charity Partner 2025: Farms for City Children

As part of its B Corp commitment, each year Country & Town House chooses one charity to throw the weight of its support behind. We look for charities that very much align with our mission around putting sustainability, purpose, and community first. Editorial director, Lucy Cleland, says, ‘I was lucky enough to meet Michael at an event last year and hear directly from him and some of the people whom his fabulous charity has impacted. There are real tangible results – in terms of building confidence, reducing anxiety, opening minds, and educating about the countryside and where our food comes from –  for children who might not have a connection with the countryside. And I hear they sing for their supper! I can’t wait to spend some time with them this year.’

Who are Farms for City Children?

Farms for City Children is a UK charity founded in 1976 by Clare and Michael Morpurgo. The aim was to make the British countryside accessible to children from underserved communities. Through the charity, children can experience the adventure of working together on a farm. Since the charity was established, more than 100,000 children have visited one of its farms, participating in purposeful tasks during the day and relaxing in a welcoming environment during the evening. 

In a recent interview with Editorial Director Lucy Cleland, Michael wrote: 

‘We felt it was the right of a child to know there was this other world out there, which was their world too: a world of nature and wonder, a world that fed us, a world we all had to care about and care for.’ 

Farms for City Children is committed to four pillars that link to the needs of students from visiting schools: 

1. Personal and Social Relationships
2. Outdoor Education
3. Health and Wellbeing
4. Sustainability

A week on the farm with sustained physical activity and inspiring social interactions reduces students’ reliance on technology and gives them opportunities to be mindful and notice their surroundings. This develops their sense of empathy and understanding of the importance of playing a role in a wider community. Children participate in activities such as:

• Feeding poultry and collecting eggs
• Grooming and mucking out horses, ponies and donkeys 
• Feeding cattle 
• Herding sheep 
• Feeding pigs 
• Working in the kitchen garden to sow, grow, tend and harvest the fruits and vegetables 
• Cooking nutritious meals from the produce harvested in the kitchen gardens

The Farms

• Devon – Nethercott House
• Pembrokeshire – Lower Treginnis
• Gloucestershire – Wick Court

Supporting Farms for City Children

Farms for City Children relies on donations from charitable trusts & foundations, businesses, schools, clubs and groups, individual donors and volunteers. These donations allow over 3,000 children to participate in farm visits annually. Please see here to donate to their work. 

How will C&TH support Farms for City Children? 

As well as other non-tangible elements, C&TH will offer:

• Complimentary advertising in every C&TH edition and its associated supplements – School House, Great British Brands, Country & Town Interiors, Great British & Irish Hotels
• Ongoing editorial support across print, online, social media and live events
• Volunteering and a farm visit
• Fundraising: C&TH will take part in a company fundraising campaign to raise money for the charity. 

To keep up with our partnership, keep coming back to this page and follow us on social media: @countryandtownhouse & @farmsforcitychildren