by Alan Quick

CHILDREN’S author Michael Morpurgo, from Devon, has been knighted for services to literature and charity.

He and his wife set up the charity Farms for City Children to give inner city children an experience of the countryside.

One of the farms the Exeter-based charity runs is located at Nethercott House, Iddesleigh, near Winkleigh.

The 74-year-old storyteller says he will "give" his knighthood to the equine star of perhaps his most famous book, “War Horse”.

It documents the extraordinary friendship between a young boy, Albert, and his horse Joey during the First World War. The book has won accolades around the world and became a West End play and a Steven Spielberg film.

Mr Morpurgo said: “There was never a knight that has owed so much to his horse as this one – and in fact, we will give the knighthood to Joey and call him Sir Joey.”

Mr Morpurgo is a supporter and patron of Crediton Community Bookshop, where he has held book signings in the past.

He has written more than 130 books, other successful works including “The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips” and “Private Peaceful”, both like “War Horse”, adapted for the stage. Between 2003 and 2005 he was the third British children’s laureate.

Barty Smith, the founder and Chair of Trustees of the Amber Foundation was awarded an OBE in this year’s New Year’s Honours list. 

He founded the Amber Foundation 23 years ago to help homeless and unemployed young people in crisis to positively transform their lives.

The Amber Foundation gives young people in crisis a safe, temporary home with up to 90 other young people in one of its three UK centres, whilst supporting them to develop the skills that they need for independent living and employment.

The Amber Foundation has run Ashley Court at Chawleigh as one of its centres since 2002.

Barty explained: “Young people who have fallen on hard times, been out of work, or have just lost their way need space and time to focus on their future, free from the added pressures of unemployment or how they will afford their next meal.

“I have always felt that by having fun and building self-esteem and confidence, people see the world differently and see the opportunities that in the past have always been there but were never seen. This is usually because they were too bogged down with trying to survive or were being dragged into a life of drugs and crime, often through mixing with the wrong crowd or just because life had dealt them a pretty rotten hand.

“I am very pleased to receive this award and it is fantastic that the work of the Amber Foundation has been nationally recognised. So many young people have a difficult start in life or things can go wrong but I really believe that with the right space, encouragement and support they can see and work towards an alternative future to the one they might have had on benefits and on the streets.”