A WEST Devon charity is celebrating a Christmas funding boost with the award of a £5,000 cheque from one of the country?s largest grant-giving trusts.

Farms for City Children, based at Iddesleigh, was one of the lucky groups to receive money in the latest £444,627 round of grants awarded by the Lloyds TSB Foundation.

The organisation made the awards to more than 80 South West voluntary groups which help people, particularly the disadvantaged and disabled, to play a fuller role in the community.

More than 1,000 urban disadvantaged children a year stay on the farm at Iddesleigh where they gain experience of the practical working life of a farm.

The groups of 40, accompanied by five teachers, are involved in every aspect of the farm, including milking, mucking out, egg collecting, apple juice making, harvesting and lambing.

Repeating activities during the week, the children gain confidence in their work, which supports aspects of the national curriculum such as literacy, numeracy and citizenship.

Personal skills such as independence and self-reliance are also developed.

Jane Feaver, chief executive of Farms for City Children, said: ?The work of the voluntary sector is fundamental to the development of local services for our community.

?Funding is extremely hard to secure and it is especially good to hear at Christmas time that we have financial support for the new year ? which means we can continue to offer our services to help local people improve their quality of life.?

The Lloyds TSB grant will be used to subsidise a stay on the farm for children from five schools throughout the South West.

Nicky Furse, senior branch manager at Lloyds TSB in Okehampton, presented a giant Christmas cracker to staff and children at the farm in celebration of the grant.

She said: ?At Christmas time our thoughts often turn to people who are less fortunate than ourselves.

?Charities throughout the South West provide a range of vital services which make a real difference to the lives of local people ? it?s great that the Lloyds TSB Foundation is supporting the hard work of the voluntary sector in this area.?

The Lloyds TSB Foundations, covering England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, receive one per cent of the banking group?s profits in lieu of shareholder dividends which is distributed to local registered charities.

LEFT: Nicky Furse presents the Christmas cracker donation to the group.

Picture by

Ian Snell