www.farmsforcitychildren.org
Autumn 2017
A Special Visitor to Wick Court
Registered Charity number 325120
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A word from our Chief Executive Kirsty’s story Nethercott House Farewell Catherine Wick Court A Special Visitor to Wick Court Lower Treginnis Access Fund A few words from the children Unplug for the day! Forthcoming events Recent events Thank you! Our Christmas Shop Transform a Child’s Life Order Form Donation Form
Farms for City Children welcomes over 3,200 primary school children a year to one of our three farms for a 7 day stay. By being farmers for a week, children grow in self esteem, self confidence and self worth. Fresh air, purposeful work, taking responsibility, contact with animals, good food eaten in a homely environment, a screen-free setting and space to play encourages children to flourish. Their horizons broaden, they learn to work in a team, communicate with one another and they become more responsive back in the classroom and at home.
Contact us: Tel: 01392 276381 admin@farmsforcitychildren.org www.farmsforcitychildren.org Farms for City Children, Exeter Community Centre, 17 St David's Hill, Exeter, EX4 3RG farmsforcitychildren
farmersforaweek farmsforcitychildren
Registered Charity number 325120
A word from Dr Tessa Stone Chief Executive, Farms for City Children
The end of the academic year always brings a number of farewells in an organisation of our size, but this year one goodbye in particular heralds the end of an era. Catherine Knight, our wonderful Farm School Manager at Nethercott House, is hanging up her wellies after a medal-earning 13 years. We celebrate Catherine elsewhere in this newsletter, but I want to add my personal thanks to her. In the last 3 years I have benefitted enormously from her wisdom, thoughtfulness and openness, and I shall miss her – and her in-meeting knitting – hugely! She passes the baton (or knitting needles!?) on to Tim Rose, who we’ll introduce properly in the next newsletter, but for now a big welcome, Tim! Those of you who are in touch with Head Office will have also noticed a number of new names here. Paul and Rebecca have joined our fundraising team, and Mel our new Education Officer is extending our partnership with our visiting schools. Our new Access Fund – established with generous donations from the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Hodge Foundation – means we are able to offer an even greater subsidy to schools in the highest areas of deprivation, and Mel will be reaching out to new schools that meet our Fund criteria. No update from me is complete without the inevitable mention of fundraising, and I’m delighted to be able to thank you and all of our wonderful volunteers, supporters and friends who have contributed to us raising £1 million this year. This is a fantastic achievement (and the first time we have ever reached this milestone), and I hope this newsletter gives a flavour of the wonderful things we’re able to do with that support. There’s no rest for the wicked of course – our target for next year is a minimum of £1.2 million – but we start the new term energised in anticipation of another marvellous year of muck and magic.
With best wishes, Tessa
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Kirsty’s story
Kirsty Jeffries has been a teacher at Leigham Primary School in Plymouth for the past 14 years and, in her words, has had the privilege of taking Year 4 children to Nethercott for 12 of those years. Leigham Primary School is a fully inclusive mainstream school and they regularly give children with a wide and varied range of special educational needs the opportunity to be “Nethercott Farmers� for the week. This is her story.
Why we keep coming back! Over the past twenty years, our school has taken Year 4 children to Nethercott House because we want them to have a particular experience that is difficult to find anywhere else in our area. It is truly unique. We know that a week at Nethercott will be packed with learning, challenge and fun for everybody. The children live together with their friends and teachers in a Victorian house, which of course is a mansion to them, and thrive on the sense of freedom that comes from having so much outdoor space in which to explore, play and have fun. They find out about a way of life in the countryside, which contrasts so strongly with their everyday lives and discover not only where their food comes from but also gain first-hand experience of the hard work and reward involved in producing and eating it. I am continually reminded of the deep set memories the children have of their time at Nethercott because it is always something they choose to include in their Year 6 Leavers presentation. The visit is also something that older siblings, and even parents who visited the farm as a child, talk to me about with great fondness.
The National Curriculum When we return to school, the children write an explanation text about milk production. The very nature of the seven day visit means that they are fully immersed in the milking process that they will be writing about. However, the structure of a week at Nethercott means that this process is broken down into small steps, so the children gain a gradual and deepening understanding of what is happening and why. For those with learning difficulties, this approach to learning, along with the first-hand experiences that they gain, are invaluable and help them to engage and succeed in the same curriculum activities as their peers. One child I have worked with made such a strong connection with the people, places, animals, smells and sounds of Nethercott that he was motivated to talk and write about it in a way that I had never seen before. He chose his writing about milk production as the piece of work he was most proud of and wanted to show to his new Year 5 teacher. Speech and language challenges As the farming week progresses, I have seen reluctant speakers become more confident around the farmers and animals
and develop a curiosity and confidence that means they want to speak about and instigate conversations about their thoughts and ideas. During our visit this year, a girl who rarely speaks in the classroom was confidently negotiating with rival ‘tribes’ when den building during our forest school session and she invented and spoke a language that her peers accepted and reciprocated. When feeding the calves, she spoke in full sentences and said, “They can’t stay with their mums because they will drink all the milk. Then Graham can’t sell it”. She confidently and accurately used words such as pasteurised, mating, herd and fertilised because over the course of the week she had heard these words used repeatedly in a meaningful context and had therefore developed a good understanding of how to use this vocabulary. Social skills and teamwork Learning at Nethercott is not limited to food and farming. The development of social skills and teamwork are an integral part of the week. For some children with special educational needs this is a challenging but rewarding part of the experience as they develop new friendships and make contributions that their peers never thought possible. Staff at Nethercott are experienced and skilled at noticing the talents of every child and encourage this whenever they can. A child in my current class really struggles with new learning at school but soon realised that he was stronger than most children in his group. The boost to his selfesteem from becoming the ‘expert wheelbarrow driver’ was enormous and his talent meant he had a meaningful role within the team as he coached others to improve. The social balance within the group changed and made a positive difference to this particular child. The structure of the week allows all children to learn, practise and develop skills that their parents often tell us they continue to use at home long after their week as a farmer is over. I strongly believe that every child who visits Nethercott House, no matter what challenges they face in their everyday lives, gains so much from this unique experience. I would therefore urge you to support Farms for City Children, a charity that aims to ensure all children have the opportunity to grow in the ways that I have described.
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Nethercott House Catherine Knight, Farm School Manager Iddesleigh, Devon
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In the final week of last term we trialled our new Food Preparation Room with children from Langford Primary School in Fulham, London. As we prepared items from the garden in the new room, children were tasting scrubbed carrots straight from the ground, edible flowers, biting grains of corn to see the flour inside and enjoying freshly-podded broad beans. They had never done anything like this before and were amazed at the flavours and the permission granted to do so! This sort of experience opens children’s eyes to a world of raw eating that they had no knowledge of and connects them dynamically to food that is grown.
The preparation for our Victorian walled kitchen garden restoration project is now underway, and we have dug up our willow bed to make room for a recycled glasshouse near the polytunnel. With the children’s help, we will replant the willow near the Lawn Field. The children creatively weave items in Forest School, and we also use it to make charcoal, so it’s important that we sustainably grow our own.
The Spring and Summer terms have been filled with the seasonal jobs and purposeful work, however thanks to a frost in late Spring, the trees in our orchard are very bare of fruit and we therefore won’t be picking or juicing many apples, which is part of our usual Autumn curriculum. We’ll be on the lookout, but if you know anyone who might have a surplus they would be willing to donate, please get in touch!
On 1st September Tim Rose will be starting his induction here in preparation for taking on my role as the new Farm School Manager. This will herald the start of a new era here at Nethercott as I withdraw to my garden, my granddaughter and a quieter life. I wish him every success and as much fulfilment as I’ve enjoyed for the past 13 years. I’m sure he’ll bring new energy and ideas as Nethercott continues to provide marvellous experiences for urban children well into the future.
Catherine
Farewell Catherine! It’s always hard to say goodbye to staff when they retire, and never more so than when it’s one of our oh-so-crucial Farm School Managers. Catherine Knight arrived at Nethercott back in 2005, and we reckon she’s welcomed over 11,250 children to Nethercott since then. That’s a lot of names to learn! Our Farm School Managers really shape each farm in their own image, and Catherine has combined dedicated hard work with a strong vision for Nethercott that is immediately apparent to every visitor.
The value of a week of muck and magic has no more eloquent and passionate advocate, and whatever she has done at Nethercott has always been with the visiting children’s experience as her number one priority. Signs of Catherine’s inspiration are everywhere. The cleared and newly accessible pond area, her vastly popular Forest School sessions, and the new food preparation room are just a very few of the things that will make up her legacy. And of course, everyone will remember her knitting projects – from the wonderful knitted tree and veg garden in the classroom to the mobile phone cases she seems to be able to knit in just minutes, and sells in the pop-up shop every week! Catherine’s wellies will be very large ones to fill, and we shall miss her. Thank you Catherine, for everything you have done for Nethercott and all its visitors.
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Wick Court Heather Tarplee, Farm School Manager Arlingham, Gloucester As we can’t visit our neighbouring Egg Farm due to increased biosecurity after the Avian flu outbreaks, the children have been halter training some of our ewes and lambs for sheep showing. They’ve been practising taking them through an obstacle course and walking them up and down the drive – although at first it wasn’t clear who was actually leading! The sheep have had lots of practice, but one group of children who arrived on a Friday then showed the sheep in a Young Handler class at the local Berkeley Show on the Sunday! It takes some confidence to do this, but the children did brilliantly, coming home with several rosettes and memories that will stay with them for a long time.
Meanwhile the garden is bursting and the children love harvesting vegetables and picking fruit and flowers for the house. The children are weighing the pigs every week to see when they are fit to go and
they’ve also been sorting and weighing the early lambs ready for market. After all their hard work it’s good to know the children are sitting down to enjoy delicious homecooked meals made from our own meat, eggs, vegetables, fruit and honey – literally enjoying the fruits of their labour.
Our royal visit in May stayed dry and was enjoyed by the children from Vauxhall Primary. In early June the sunshine drew a large crowd of visitors for Open Farm Sunday, with opportunities to meet the children, animals, purchase farm produce, try Woodland activities, enjoy Bill’s storytelling in the roundhouse and tours of the farm, garden and house. All in all a busy day! Our second, smaller roundhouse - funded by Dr Spargo’s epic cycle ride and the Halpin Trust - was completed over the Easter break and the toilets and handwashing facilities installed just in time for the performance of “As You Like It” from the fabulous HandleBards.
Heather
Friends of Wick Court Two of our long-term volunteers have launched “Friends of Wick Court” to raise funds for specific projects, help with practical projects and to encourage local groups to make more use of the facilities here at Wick. For more information please contact Brian at brian@farmsforcitychildren.org 8
HRH The Duchess of Cambridge visits Wick Court
Having read about Farms for City Children in Country Life magazine at the end of last year, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge wanted to come and have a closer look at what we do. We provided as normal a day as possible for her and the resident children from Vauxhall Primary School (who didn’t know about the visit until they arrived on the Friday afternoon!) – read on to see exactly what it entailed! The day began with an introductory conversation about our history, our current activities and our plans for the future with Michael and Clare Morpurgo, Liz Owens (Chair of Trustees), and Tessa.
The Duchess ended her day with an informal tea party and a chance to chat with our key staff, farming partners, volunteers and trustees.
The Duchess joined the children and teachers for a delicious, home-cooked lunch. As is usual for all visitors to Wick Court, the children then provided a fantastic tour of every nook and cranny of the house. Following lunch, the children and the Duchess enjoyed storytime with Michael Morpurgo reading his book Conker to them all in the new roundhouse. After storytime, everyone got stuck in with the farm work; the Duchess helped the children pot seeds, plant onions, muck out chickens and weigh pigs before heading out to the Perry orchard. Out in the orchard the sheep flocked towards the Duchess, and she helped the children bottle feed Stinky the lamb. The Duchess also joined in with egg-collecting and grooming our horses. Whilst helping with our livestock she told the children about her own menagerie of animals and her brother’s bees.
We were delighted to welcome The Duchess of Cambridge to Wick Court and it was lovely that she was able to spend so much time with the children and see everything we do. It was clear that she really appreciated and understood how a week with Farms for City Children can help children thrive, and we would love to welcome The Duchess back anytime.
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Lower Treginnis Dan Jones, Farm School Manager St David’s, Pembrokeshire You may be guilty of thinking that welcoming children to the farm for seven days, week after week, after week could become repetitive, if not a little tiresome. However, that could not be further from the truth. For just over three years now I have welcomed over 100 bus loads of inner-city children to Lower Treginnis. Every bus contains a group of children who have a unique dynamic, with different needs and with different backgrounds. Working with these children and seeing how they change and develop over a relatively short period of time is a real privilege and it is an honour to have the opportunity to be part of that process.
We have had schools that have brought extra adults to be 1-1 with children with behavioural problems only to find that those children genuinely end up being the best behaved child in the group. So many times now I have awarded the coveted Farmer of the Week award to children with statements for behavioural problems, and to see them burst with pride when their name is called out is a
real treat. There are quite often tears of joy from the “tough” kids and it just goes to show what a change of setting and a sense of purpose and achievement can do. Routine, boundaries, fresh air, good food, hard work and recognition are the main driving factors behind what makes the week a success and I am sure it is what all children need and deserve. From the children with no confidence, to the children with too much, a week of muck and magic does wonders and its impact is lasting.
Having won a Jewson’s Building Better Communities Award, we are excited to see 2017-18 bring a new project to life at Lower Treginnis – you’ll have to wait and see what it is in our Spring issue… For now, our lips are sealed! During 2017-2018 over 1,000 more children will be visiting our farm and the whole of the Lower Treginnis family cannot wait to welcome them with open arms. It really is a team effort here and without all of the staff the children’s week would not be the same. Diolch!
Dan
Access Fund
“I honestly believe the children learn more in a week than in a term in the classroom”
As Tessa mentioned in her welcome, we have received generous donations from the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Hodge Foundation to offer an even greater subsidy to schools in the highest areas of deprivation who would benefit hugely from a week of muck and magic. We want to thank these Foundations, and share with you here just two comments we recently received from schools in receipt of funding from the Access Fund:
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“Some of our children rarely travel to Central London – let alone get out of the city. We are determined that our children have the best possible life chances as adults. We try to make that happen by providing them with an exciting and engaging education, by giving them chances to work with adults who do interesting jobs and by connecting them with London and the wider world. Our annual trip to Wick Court is central to that work. It is part of the culture of the school – something that children hear about and look forward to as they come through the school. We have a very prominent display of children at the farm. This is the first thing I point out on my tour of the school for prospective parents because it typifies the kind of high quality life learning that we want the children to have. I just wanted to be in touch to say thank you once again for the financial support you have given us for next year’s farm trip. Without it, we would have been unable to proceed with the trip and that would have been a terrible loss to our school community.” Michael Bradley, Headteacher, Merton Abbey Primary School
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“Thank you very much for your extremely kind offer to support the children’s visit. I honestly believe the children learn more in a week at Nethercott than in a term in the classroom. I know a number of adults who went when they were children and still vividly remember the week and the learning they took part in. Some of our parents went with other schools as pupils and have offered to come again as helpers! We can’t wait until we’re there, thank you again. Let the muck and magic continue!” Andy Hodges, Mount Wise Primary School 11
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UNPLUG When our 3,200 visiting primary school children spend a week on one of our three farms they are screen-free - no phones, TVs, laptops, iPads, iPods, or DVDs. The children have the time and freedom to explore the outdoors, spend time together and learn new skills. We would love more children - and adults too - to experience time without their screens, so this year we are encouraging everyone to unplug for the day. Choose a day that suits you – a weekday or the weekend - to unplug in October. The aim is to spend time off a screen and have fun! Our Founder, Michael Morpurgo, said of the campaign: “Unplug is a chance to turn off your screen, look up and just think what might happen. You might bump into an old friend, pick up a pen and write that story you’ve been meaning to, or simply just talk to a friend. The possibilities are endless.” As part of Unplug, we’re encouraging people to raise sponsorship to subsidise one child’s 7-day stay on the farm this year. We can provide you with all the information you need to get started, from registering, to ideas of what to do without your screens for a day! By taking part in Unplug, you will be raising awareness of the importance of screen-free time and vital funds for children who don’t have the chance to get out and explore the countryside. Download your pack and register today on our website at www.farmsforcitychildren.org/support-us/unplug
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“The children learnt to work as a team better – turn taking improved. The children realised that you don’t need TV to have fun. They developed a love for the countryside, and an understanding/respect for it.” The teachers from Eleanor Palmer Foundation School, London
FOR THE DAY! “you don’t need TV to have fun”
“We enjoyed not relying on technology like laptops, TV and mobile phones. Have realised there is more to life than TV! We liked cooking. It feels good and makes us proud to see people eat it.” The children from Baguley Hall Primary, Manchester
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FORTHCOMING
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24th September St Paul’s Walden Bury Run Choose between 2km, 5km and 10km and run through the grounds of the birthplace of the Queen Mother, all in aid of Farms for City Children. St Paul’s Walden Bury, Hitchin, Herts SG4 8BP. Races starting from 11:30, with gates and registration opening at 10:15. October – Unplug for the day Take part in our Unplug campaign. Switch off your screens on a day that suits you in October and raise money for Farms for City Children at the same time!
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28th October – Pumpkin Patch Day Get involved with spooky stories, fancy dress, pumpkin themed food, face painting and much more! Lower Treginnis, St David’s, Haverfordwest SA62 6RS 20th January 2018 – Wassail The fruit trees are looking good and will be ready for the annual ceremony which guarantees our excellent fruit crop! Wick Court, Overton Lane, Arlingham, Gloucester GL2 7JJ. Join us from 7pm.
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26th April 2018– Ultimate Spring Party Join us for drinks, canapés and a silent auction at the Savoy Hotel to celebrate 42 years of Farms for City Children. Tickets and further information will be available soon on our website. The Savoy, Strand, London WC2R 0EU
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For more information on events go to: www.farmsforcitychildren.org/support-us/events
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Our Recent Events While many supporters have been organising events for us (you’ll find these over the page) we’ve also had a few of our own! 3rd May – 5 x 15 at the Royal Geographical Society This was a fantastic evening where Ian Hislop, Cathy Newman, Juliet Stephenson, Roger McGough, Caroline Lucas, Michael Morpurgo and Clare Morpurgo shared their thoughts on the theme of nature and nurture. 11th June – Open Farm Sunday Each of our farms took part in Open Farm Sunday this year, and it was the perfect day for it! The visiting schools provided tours of the houses, helped sell produce and had a great time showing off ‘their’ farm! 29th June - HandleBards at Wick Court This year we had the all-girl troupe who arrived after a 41-mile cycle ride from the other side of Bath – and as the gates opened so did the heavens…. It must have been the wettest June evening ever – but a good crowd braved the elements and were rewarded with an amazing performance despite the truly terrible conditions – a night to remember! 2nd July – War Horse: Only Remember at Pentillie Castle This was a magical evening with Michael Morpurgo and Ben Murray performing in a packed marquee. Pentillie Castle was a beautiful setting for the event. 14th July – Illyria at Nethercott House We welcomed Illyria to Nethercott House on the last day of term to perform The Emperor’s New Clothes – it was a sunny evening and there was a lot of laughter! The audience enjoyed our own Large Black pork rolls before settling in to watch the performance.
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Thank you! We’ve got so many supporters to thank we can’t mention everyone, so here are just a few snippets of what you have been up to. Most importantly though, THANK YOU for all you are doing to enable children to have a week of muck and magic! We are very grateful to Knight Frank for franking and sending our last three newsletters for us – this support has meant we can focus our efforts on fundraising for the children. Thank you! Did you know that the Gift Aid we have been able to claim from your kind donations this year has subsidised one school’s visit? That’s almost 40 children who have been able to come to the farm thanks to your donations going the extra mile! If you haven’t signed a gift aid form in the last four years, but your donations are eligible, please call us on 01392 276381. Mole Valley Farmers kindly hosted us in their tent at the Devon County Show and this was a great opportunity see our local supporters, and make new friends!! If you have space for any Farms for City Children items on your stand at a local show do get in touch! Coast to Coast Elsevier Exeter organised their second Coast to Coast bike ride, this time from Barnstaple to Exmouth! Participants joined from as far afield as Oxford and, while they got absolutely drenched, they were amazing and have raised over £2,000!
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Bondleigh Barn Band performed at Hatherleigh Community Centre for Farms for City Children, with a raffle and refreshments. The evening was well attended with a programme of music covering four centuries! Many Devon Young Farmers Clubs have been supporting us this year, including raising funds for a new chicken shed (thank you Winkleigh), taking part in the Coast to Coast, an 80 mile swim and 80 mile run (thank you Newton St Cyres), hosting us at Chagford Show (thank you Chagford) and helping on the farm and writing about us in Farmer’s Guardian (thank you Culm Valley). Thank you all! Ugbrooke House hosted a Luxury Shopping Event in aid of Farms for City Children with a raffle and stalls – could you hold a fair or event to support us? Halse South West’s Open Day, they chose to give everyone attending a free lunch ticket, with all donations (instead of paying for their lunch) coming to Farms for City Children! In July, Nethercott staff and supporters in Winkleigh held a Jumble Sale in aid of us, raising almost £500! If your business, community group or Young Farmers Club would like to get involved, have a speaker or choose us as charity of the year, that would be fantastic! Please email fundraising@farmsforcitychildren.org or call us on 01392 276381
Thank you for supporting our Tractor Appeal! Last year we asked you to support our Tractor Appeal to help us replace our aging tractors at Lower Treginnis and Nethercott House. With your help, and a supportive relationship with Machine Serve and ArmaTrac, we have been able to purchase two new ArmaTrac 504s! We part exchanged our Massey Ferguson 165 from Nethercott House, and another organisation bought our Massey Ferguson 35 from Lower Treginnis to restore. Dan Jones, Farm School Manager at Lower Treginnis, says, “Since having our new ArmaTrac tractor we cannot understand how we managed before! There are so many jobs that have been made easier or faster. The tractor will transform the way we do things at Lower Treginnis as well as giving us the freedom to grow and harvest veg on a large scale. This will provide lots more jobs for the visiting children and give them firsthand experience of what it takes to get food to fork.”
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Below are a sample of some of the items available to purchase from our shop. Don’t forget that we have more available online - www.farmsforcitychildren.org/shop
Order Form
Please complete the ‘Your Details’ section overleaf and return this order form and a cheque made payable to Farms for City Children to the address below. If you are making a donation, please include this in your cheque total. Farms for City Children, Exeter Community Centre, 17 St. David's Hill, Exeter, EX4 3RG.
Thank you for your support
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T H A N K
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Autumn 2017
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If you would like to discuss further opportunities to support or get involved with Farms for City Children, please contact Katie Wade on 01392 276381 or at katie@farmsforcitychildren.org Please complete the information and return it to us at Farms for City Children, Exeter Community Centre, 17 St. David’s Hill, Exeter, EX4 3RG. Data protection - we take your data protection very seriously and have recently updated our privacy policy. For more information please visit www.farmsforcitychildren.org/contact/dataprotection
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