A DARTMOOR farm is celebrating a three year grant from the Worshipful Company of Butchers.

Shallowford Farm, near Widecombe, has received a £60,000 cash boost from the London Livery Company to support its continued work showing children from urban London where food comes from.

The Shallowford Trust charity was set up in 1976 by the late Elizabeth Braund MBE as a ‘lung for the city’ for young people from a Battersea Housing Estate.

Now it welcomes children from all over the country to the 82 acre working hill farm in Dartmoor National Park.

As it celebrates its 50th year, the charity maintains its strong London connection by running residential courses for urban children to learn in a hands-on way where their food comes from, and how to connect to the countryside environment.

Some children going to Shallowford have never even put on a pair of wellies before, let alone feed pigs and pick veg.

The three year funding support from one of the oldest city of London Livery Companies, along with our funding from the John Lewis Partnership and National Lottery Heritage Fund, will allow the charity to continue its work helping to make a difference to children’s lives.

This latest award will also enable the trust to considerably extend its ability to deliver programmes.

The grant will deliver a collaborative project with the WCB to expand the programme to educate young people about sustainable farming and animal welfare. 

By providing hands-on experience, Shallowford aims to bridge the gap between urban life and the countryside, inspiring a new generation to a greater understanding of the vital connection between farming and the food on their plates.

Over the three years, the plan is to increase the number of school and youth groups visiting and grow the curriculum-based programme to help children further understand farming, food production and conservation as well as explore potential careers in these fields.

John Dracup, trustee of Shallowford commented: ‘We are profoundly grateful to the WCB to be recognised for this award, which will enable us to make a significant and lasting difference to the lives of young children and their futures.

‘We look forward to welcoming the Master and Chair of Trustees of WCB to Shallowford very soon, so we can show them first hand the difference their generosity has made.’

During the funding period, the farm will be running the ‘Farm to City’ programme, which takes the farm to Battersea to engage with local schools, youth groups and communities.

They get the chance to see pigs, calves and chickens and learn about farming and conservation directly from Dartmoor farmers to the heart of the capital, which provides more exciting collaborative opportunities to partner with the Worshipful Company of Butchers.

A Shallowford spokesman added: ‘We welcome this exciting opportunity to work with the WCB to help deliver their charitable objectives, as well as offering fellowship opportunities for Liverymen to visit and mentor our growing team.’