A CHARITY founded by children’s author Michael Morpurgo and his wife Clare 50 years ago this year is inviting the community to help them celebrate – by painting a goose.
The wooden silhouettes of geese are now available from Nethercott House near Iddesleigh, north of Okehampton, the first of Farms for City Children’s three residential centres giving children from urban areas a break in the countryside.
The goose theme was inspired by ‘goose girl’, a charming illustration of a girl with a gaggle of geese by celebrated artist Quentin Blake, which is the charity’s logo.
The wooden silhouettes of geese – there are four to choose from – are between 60cm and 90cm high and come ready to paint.
They cost £25 – all proceeds to the charity – and after being painted, they need to be returned to Nethercott House by the start of December, ready to form part of a pre-Christmas ‘geese trail’ from December 14-18 all around the house and the farm next door.
Katy Martin, farm school manager at Nethercott House, said: “The 50 geese are to be decorated by our local community, friends of the charity and it’s rumoured even Axel Schefler, The Gruffalo illustrator, might do one for the auction… we have local Devon artist Mike Hughes taking part and Clare and Michael Morpurgo are also taking part.
“We’ll be at Chulmleigh Fair in July with the goose shape boards and at our Open Garden on August 6 and we can arrange collection or drop off for anyone wanting to get involved too.”
After the event, the wooden geese will be auctioned off for the charity. Those who cannot bear to part with their goose can pay an extra £10 to keep them, again with all the proceeds going to the charity.
The Nethercott House open garden event is on Thursday, August 6 from 1-4.30pm. Farms for City Children will be at Chulmleigh Fair on Wednesday, July 29. Find out more at https://farmsforcitychildren.org
The ‘goose girl’ logo for the charity has inspired the competition. (Farms for City Children)