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Total raised so far

16%

£650.00 of £4,000 target +£112.50 Gift Aid See breakdown

YPO Gala Dinner in aid of Farms for City Children

Raising for Farms for City Children

Event dates:

Every leader begins with a moment of connection — with themselves, others, or the world around them. At  Farms for City Children, we create those moments for children and young people aged 8–19 from underserved communities, many of whom have never visited a natural environment.

"I feel human. Usually I feel neutral. Bored. But here I feel human. I feel set free." — Joshua, Year 7 Pupil, June 2025

The charity was founded in 1976 by Lady Clare and Sir Michael Morpurgo, who both grew up with formative experiences in nature that shaped the adults they became. They believed every child, no matter their background, should have the chance to experience the freedom, wonder, and learning that comes from being immersed in the natural world.

Today, our five-day residentials on working heritage farms in Devon, Gloucestershire, and Pembrokeshire are immersive, structured, and deeply nurturing. Children don’t just observe — they become farmers for a week. They take on meaningful responsibility—feeding livestock, growing and cooking their own produce, and
exploring the natural environment through biodiversity walks, beekeeping, and habitat discovery.

Our young farmers learn empathy, resilience, and responsibility while connecting with their peers and teachers in ways rarely possible in daily life. Away from screens, home, and the classroom, these experiences allow children to reconnect with themselves — a physical reset, a digital detox, and a mental recalibration.

Like you, we believe leadership starts with empathy and grows through experience. Just as YPO nurtures future leaders, our programme helps young people develop the skills, confidence, and agency to flourish as compassionate, conscious individuals — connected to the world around them and empowered to safeguard our planet’s future.


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About us

Farms for City Children

Charity number: 325120

Our mission is to improve the health, wellbeing and environmental citizenship of all children and young people, especially those experiencing inequality, by connecting them with food, farming and nature.

We do this by providing young people with the opportunity to live and thrive for a week on our three farms in Devon, Gloucestershire and Pembrokeshire, allowing them to learn in new ways and achieve beyond the classroom. Young people are immersed in practical, hands-on farm tasks, building their knowledge, skills, confidence and resilience through new experiences. These benefits last long after they return home and can be felt throughout their lives.

Through practical experience of food production and nature-friendly farming, young people are able to broaden their horizons and recognise themselves as environmental citizens. With children and young people increasingly locked into a digital world and disconnected from nature, what we offer has never been more important.

Since 1976, over 105,000 young people have flourished thanks to a week on our farms. Together, we can ensure that hundreds of thousands more experience the wealth of benefits of being farmers for a week.

Recent donations

By 3 supporters

Sridhar & Amanda

£200.00

+ £50.00 Gift Aid

Great work!

Mark McDermott

£250.00

+ £62.50 Gift Aid

Exceptional charity

Ali Khanbhai

£200.00

Wonderful initiative!

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