About Us

Farms for City Children is a charity enabling children from disadvantaged communities to experience the adventure of working together on our farms in the heart of the British countryside.

This opportunity exists for children because of our amazing supporters. Thanks to them we can continue to brighten the lives of thousands of children each year.

A Welcome from our Founders,
Clare and Michael Morpurgo

Since we started the charity in 1976 more than 100,000 children have been to one of our farms – Nethercott House in Devon, Lower Treginnis in Pembrokeshire, and Wick Court in Gloucestershire. But it should be millions. It’s a visit that builds children’s self-confidence and self-worth as they work as a team on the farm. A visit full of fun too, and for many, the most memorable time of their young lives.

For today’s children who are ever more disconnected from the countryside, nature, and the source of the food they eat, spending time on the farms brings great joy, new discoveries, and the opportunity to reconnect with friends and teachers.

We hope to see you down on the farm or at one of our events very soon!

Welcome to our farms!

Each of our three heritage farms provides a vibrant living laboratory for children and young people to enjoy. The farms are a practical classroom in which children and their teachers immerse themselves in purposeful tasks during the day, and then relax in a warm, welcoming and homely environment enjoying some respite from the hectic pace of modern life.

Click on a farm below to find out more Nethercott House, Wick Court, and Lower Treginnis, and what makes each one unique.

Devon – Nethercott House

Nethercott House sits just outside the pretty Devonshire village of Iddesleigh with views to the high tors of Dartmoor National Park. Nestled deep in the countryside that inspired our founder – Michael Morpurgo – to write War Horse, Nethercott House is a Victorian manor with wide sweeping lawns, steeply banked lanes, and ancient hedgerows that lead down to the River Torridge. 

Nethercott House accommodates up to 39 children and 5 adults.

During a visit to Nethercott House children will be immersed in the practical and meaningful farming tasks of the day, such as:

Feeding poultry and collecting eggs • grooming and mucking out horses, ponies and donkeys • feeding cattle • herding sheep • feeding pigs • walking through the fields and along the trout stream to check the health of livestock • 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 • making butter and yoghurt in the food prep room • lighting fires, whittling wood, and making dens in the forest • walking into the village, the spiritual home of Joey, Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse.

We’re now accepting bookings at Nethercott House. To find out more and discuss availability please get in touch with our bookings team.

Pembrokeshire – Lower Treginnis 

Lower Treginnis farm sits on the stunningly beautiful site of a 700 year-old farmstead and is the most westerly farm in Wales. Situated on the peninsular just outside of Saint Davids – the UK’s smallest city – Lower Treginnis provides visitors with an incredible mix of traditional Welsh sheep farming and direct access to the beautiful beaches of Pembrokeshire National Park.

Lower Treginnis accommodates up to 39 children and 6 adults.

During a visit to Lower Treginnis children will be immersed in the practical and meaningful farming tasks of the day, such as:

Feeding and caring for goats (milking in season) • feeding poultry and collecting eggs • grooming, walking and mucking out donkeys • watching lambing (in season) herding sheep and checking health • feeding pigs and weighing piglets • working in the kitchen garden to sow, grow, and tend to vegetables and flowers • harvesting field-scale vegetable crops to use in the kitchen and sell off the farm • cooking nutritious treats from the farm produce • log session to produce kindling and firewood • coastal walk to see the abundant wildlife and learn about local history • beach visit for rock-pooling, beach cleaning and creative activities

We’re now accepting bookings at Lower Treginnis. To find out more and discuss availability please get in touch with our bookings team.

Gloucestershire – Wick Court 

Wick Court is an impressive Elizabethan moated property once used as a hunting lodge by the nearby Lords of Berkeley and rumoured to have hosted Elizabeth I. The majestic house looks out across idyllic pastures to the reed beds of the River Severn – a view that has changed little since the first recorded farmstead stood on this land in the middle ages.

Wick Court accommodates up to 36 children and 5 adults.

During a visit to Wick Court children will be immersed in the practical and meaningful farming tasks of the day, such as:

feeding rare-breeds poultry and collecting eggs • grooming horses • feeding dairy calves • herding sheep and halter training lambs • feeding and weighing pigs • working in the kitchen garden to sow, grow, tend and harvest the fruits and vegetables • cooking nutritious meals using fresh farm produce • picking apples and pressing fresh juice • beekeeping • storytelling • Forest School activities like den building and fire lighting • birdwatching • willow harvesting and weaving • Bio-diversity walk & draw

We’re now accepting bookings at Wick Court. To find out more and discuss availability please get in touch with our bookings team.

Our People

HRH The Princess Royal
Patron

Lady Morpurgo
Founder

Sir Michael Morpurgo
Co-Founder

Ted Hughes OM
Founding President

Vice Presidents

Sir Quentin Blake CBE
Vice-President

Michael Caines MBE DL
Vice-President

J B Gill
Ambassador

Carol Hughes
Vice-President

Kate Humble
Vice-President

Dame Joanna Lumley DBE
Vice-President

Martin Paisner CBE
Vice-President

Sir Philip Pullman CBE FRSL
Vice-President

Lady Pullman
Vice-President

Juliet Stevenson CBE
Vice-President

Trustees

Rachel Goult
Chair of Trustees

Richard Ash
Trustee

Andrew Bailey
Trustee

Jonathan Bishop
Trustee

Jayne Copley
Trustee

Ali Hollingshead
Trustee

Rosanna Machado
Trustee

Lady Morpurgo
Trustee

Sir Michael Morpurgo
Trustee

Rose O’Hagan
Trustee

Mary Trussell
Trustee

Simon Whattler
Trustee

Staff

Donna Edmonds Chief Executive Farms for City Children

Donna Edmonds
Chief Executive, Head Office

Zofia Alvarez-Rabenda
General Assistant (Outdoor), Nethercott House

Sandra Ashenford
Farm School Leader, Wick Court

Michelle Bailey
Kitchen Assistant, Nethercott House

Sophie Baker
Farm School Leader, Nethercott House

Anna Baum
General Assistant, Wick Court

Alex Bolton
General Assistant, Wick Court

Julie Booton
General Assistant, Nethercott House

Danielle Bradford
Kitchen Assistant, Nethercott House

Janette Bradford
Gardener, Nethercott House

Adam Bratt
Farm Operations Manager, Nethercott House

Jo Carr
Farm School Leader, Wick Court

Adam Clark
Kitchen Assistant, Wick Court

Stuart Cragg
Farm School Leader, Wick Court

Stevie Edge-McKee
Farm School Manager, Wick Court

Nathalie Ewing
Grants Development Manager, Head Office

Susan Fairlie
Kitchen Manager, Lower Treginnis

Sue Ford
Housekeeper, Lower Treginnis

Zoe Goode
Kitchen Manager, Wick Court

Debbie Gilbert
General Assistant, Lower Treginnis

Charlie Harrison
Farm School Leader, Nethercott House

Katy Harries
Farm School Leader, Lower Treginnis

Naomi Hartman
Farm School Leader, Wick Court

Jo Hunt
Office Manager, Nethercott House

Tracy Izod
Trust Fundraiser, Head Office

Rachael Jervis
Office Manager, Lower Treginnis

Gethin Jones
Farm School Manager, Lower Treginnis

Sophie Khayat
Farm School Leader, Nethercott House

Anna Lawrence
HR Manager, Head Office

Claire McDermott
Office Manager, Wick Court

Susannah Mair
Corporate Fundraising Manager, Head Office

Trish Mansell
    Finance Manager, Head Office

Lamai Marsh
General Assistant, Nethercott House

Katy Martin
Farm School Manager, Nethercott House

Jo Morgan
General Assistant, Lower Treginnis

Sarah Moulding
Housekeeper, Wick Court

Dave McEvansoneya
Farm School Leader, Wick Court

Fiona Michael
Individual Giving & Legacy Manager, Head Office

Sophie Norvill
Head of Finance, Head Office

Sally Partridge
Farm Operations Manager, Lower Treginnis

Anna Penkala
General Assistant, Nethercott House

Hayley Penton-Worrall
HR Officer, Head Office

Jenny Percival
Kitchen Manager, Nethercott House

Alice Pethick
Kitchen Assistant, Lower Treginnis

Linda Piper
Kitchen Assistant, Nethercott House

Ben Rose
Partnerships Manager, Head Office

Tim Rose
Head of Operations, Head Office

Jessica Savery
General Assistant, Wick Court

Anne Searle
Finance Assistant, Head Office

Naomi Shannon
Database Administrator, Head Office

Becks Sweetman
Sales & Marketing Coordinator, Head Office

Lisa Tame
Head of Fundraising, Head Office

Gill Timms
General Assistant (Outdoor), Lower Treginnis

Alissa Tooley
Kitchen Assistant, Lower Treginnis

Lou Waters
Housekeeper, Nethercott House

Alan Wheatley
Farm School Leader, Lower Treginnis

Laura Wibberley-Wood
General Assistant, Nethercott House

Jo Wild
   Communications & Marketing Manager, Head Office

Jess Willcox
   Farm School Leader, Lower Treginnis