Primary school children from deprived inner-city areas, exiled from a Pembrokeshire farm by the foot and mouth disease crisis, are once again enjoying a taste of life in the countryside.

The Farm for City Children at Lower Treginnis, St Davids, was forced to ban children for seven months because it feared they would unwittingly spread the virus to this uninfected region.

Bookings from 18 schools were scrapped and a funding crisis loomed. Difficult decisions had to be made. In the words of manager, Mike Plant, it was a pretty horrendous time.

Every penny has to be carefully watched in normal circumstances and this was an added strain, he said. Some of the eight staff agreed to reduce their hours, one left for another job and there was one redundancy. We had to look very carefully at all the figures. It was agreed that the only way we could survive was to ask the staff to accept voluntary short time working, said Mr Plant.

Money still had to be found to maintain buildings and feed the sheep, cattle, goats and poultry.

The project stayed afloat on reserves and donations. A grant administered by Pembrokeshire County Council helped, but it only accounted for a tenth of the income it lost.

Even as school parties return to Treginnis, the budget has to be carefully watched. We cant recoup the money we have lost, we have to be very careful, admitted Mr Plant. Treginnis is one of three Farms for City Children founded by childrens author, Michael Morpurgo, and his wife, Clare, 25 years ago. The farm was in a desperate state of dereliction and the Morpurgos spent £1 million repairing buildings and rejuvenating the land. The project has enabled thousands of children from some of Britains most deprived inner-city areas to spend a week on a working farm. Farms for City Children leases the holding from the National Trust. Part of the land is farmed commerically by Rob Davies. The farm is well on its way to organic conversion. The decision to suspend its activities on February 21st sparked a severe funding crisis but the alternative was unacceptable.

If we had brought the disease into Pembrokeshire we would have been devastated, says Mr Plant. Everyone has been very supportive during the 13 years we have been here. We wanted to show our support. Precautions remain in place, but it is back to business at the farm. Schools are booked up for weeks ahead. Mr Plant admitted that lessons have been learned from the crisis. If the situation should arise again we are looking at ways in which we are better able to continue, diversifying what we might offer schools without losing sight of what we are here for in the first place, an extension of childrens education.

* Anyone who would like to contribute to the Farms for City Childrens Emergency Relief Appeal can send donations to Clare Morpurgo, Farms for City Children, Nethercott House, Iddesleigh, Winkleigh, Devon, EX19 8BG. Cheques should be made payable to Farms for City Children Emergency Relief Fund.

CAPTION: A day out on the farm for pupils of Thorn Hill School, Cardiff - pictured at the St Davids Farm for City Children with Mike Plant and Steve Daye. Picture: Western Telegraph.