AN ORGANISATION which offers children from cities the chance to live and work on a farm for a week was awarded a top prize last week.

Farms for City Children, which was founded by children's author Michael Morpurgo and his wife Clare at Nethercott Farm, near Iddesleigh, was named Rural Enterprise of the Year in the annual Country Life Awards.

Chief executive for Farms for City Children, Helen Chaloner, said she was over the moon with the award.

She said: 'It's really brilliant news and particularly pleasing because we won the award about 15 years ago.

'It's so lovely to get that recognition again further down the line and it's great for the charity.

'We've been here a long time and the fact that Country Life remembered us and what we do, means such a lot to us.'

The awards were launched in the June issue of Country Life magazine this year.

The winners were chosen by a selection of judges, including the editor of Country Life, Mark Hedges and deputy editor of Country Life, Rupert Uloth. Also on the panel was the Duchess of Devonshire, managing director of Waitrose, Mark Price, television and radio presenter Sue Lawley and television presenter for the South Bank Show Lord Melvyn Bragg.

Editor of Country Life magazine Mark Hedges said: 'Our glorious countryside has produced some extraordinary people who are dedicated to preserving the rural way of life.'

Farms for City Children have three farms in Devon, Pembrokeshire and Gloucestershire.

For more details on what the charity offers see http://www.farmsforcitychildren.co.uk">www.farmsforcitychildren.co.uk