Festival funds benefit Devon charity

A Devon children’s charity is set to benefit from fundraising efforts by rural insurer Cornish Mutual at the Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink later this month.

Farms for City Children will be given all the money raised by the company, which is sponsoring the event in Northernhay Gardens and Exeter Castle between Friday 17 and Sunday 19 April.

Visitors to Cornish Mutual’s stand will be able to guess the number of farm animals in an illustration produced specially for the event. All correct answers will be entered into a prize draw to win a local produce hamper put together by Darts Farm near Exeter, with exhibitors at the Exeter Festival donating the products.

The charity Farms for Children helps youngsters from urban primary schools to visit Nethercott farmhouse just outside the village of Iddesleigh, close to the River Torridge. Children visit the farm all year round to learn where their food comes from and to get involved in feeding livestock, mucking out, grooming, milking and tending kitchen gardens.

Cornish Mutual is insuring the Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink – the company’s Managing Director, Alan Goddard said: "Farms for Children is a really worthwhile charity and one which fits well with our values as a company. Our roots are firmly within the rural community across the south west and this further demonstrates our commitment to supporting such important local causes."

The charity was started at Nethercott over 31 years ago. Brothers Graham and David Ward have a herd of Organic milking Friesians, as well as sheep and a beef herd.

Tracy Izod, Fundraiser added: "We are really delighted that Cornish Mutual has chosen our charity to support through its fundraising at the Exeter Festival. Farms for City Children has three working farms where over 3,000 children spend a whole week each year. A larger number come from Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, so we rely heavily on local support to help fund their stay. Cornish Mutual’s backing will make a real difference to the work we do and we are really pleased to be working with them."

Insurance Inspectors from Cornish Mutual will be manning the charity stand at the Exeter Food & Drink Festival throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Cornish Mutual has offices in Exeter and Truro, employs 65 Members of staff and provides insurance products for people and businesses across Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset.